Freedom's Path
by T.rex98
Summary: After a global disaster, America remains the only surviving country in the world. Now, they must adapt to the age of the Kingdoms, Grimm, Huntsmen, and Dust while also upholding the values their nation was founded upon so long ago. As the political climate of the Kingdom shifts, the Huntsmen are forced to make a difficult choice: who's worth fighting for: America or the Kingdoms?
1. TIMELINE

Everyone knows of the Four Kingdoms: Vale, Vacuao, Mistral, and Atlas. Of the Grimm and their eternal mission to destroy Humanity and the Huntsmen who proudly defend the kingdoms from these monsters. However, most don't know of the age that came before. 1'000 years ago, the world was much different. There was no Dust, no Aura, no Faunus, no Grimm, and the number of nations that existed was well over a hundred. The most powerful among these nations vied for supremacy over one another through alliances and devastating weapons of mass destruction. There was a tense peace, but that all changed. On the eve of 2020, a massive global earthquake struck the planet, causing a slew of other disasters to follow in its wake, decimating the world and toppling the world's nations in an instant.

One country, the United States of America, managed to survive the cataclysm, but was severely weakened. Those that survives worked to rebuild what was lost, which would take many decades of hard work. The American government, however, became much more controlling in an effort to keep the nation together. The civilians were against this move, but knew they had to ensure their country didn't fall apart. This tense era of reconstruction for, at least, 100 years before America managed to get back on its feet, somewhat. However, greedy politicians refused to relinquish the martial law they enacted, drunk on power and wealth. Anyone who spoke out was vilified and/or removed through careful use of deceit, threats, and/or humiliation. Eventually, the majority of America's citizens had enough and rose up against the corrupt government. While they sent the army, the soldiers couldn't bring themselves to shoot their fellow countrymen and some even joined in on the rebellion. The corrupt politicians were caught, rounded up, and executed by gunpoint. Following their age old practices, new government officials were elected from among the average citizens of America.

This sparked a cultural and technological revolution in America. Many unneeded regulations, laws, and rules were removed or streamlined and many new ideas were implemented, as well. The country, as a whole, embraced the principles and ideals that their country was founded upon long ago, truly becoming a free country. The nuclear weapons were dismantled, as they were no longer needed, and the blueprints were locked away forever. Nuclear power was used as a source of clean energy and technology was moving faster than ever before. However, they quickly noticed the world has changed drastically over the centuries. They had quickly noticed many children were born with the body parts/abilities of animals, with the term Faunus quickly coined. Then, there was Dust, a strange energy propellent that possessed unnatural abilities. America went against using it, however, as they didn't need it and it was rather limiting in terms of space travel. The final change was the Grimm, soulless monsters that attacked anything made by Humans. The American military managed to kill them all before they could overrun the country and are keeping a vigilant eye in case anymore show up. Scouts have reported the creation of four kingdoms and the world's situation.

America had no intention of overtly aiding the Kingdoms, as it has done for other countries in the past, but as advocates for justice and freedom, they had to offer some help for both the Kingdoms and the oppressed Faunus people. So, they would help by striking both the Grimm and the radical White Fang that has strayed from its path. They also began training individuals in the use of Aura, Dust, and other subjects so they can blend in with the Kingdoms and offer a tactical advantage. Due to the well documented archives on the nations of the past, these trainees had plenty of fighting styles to choose from. But, America would keep to the shadows, never revealing itself to the world until it has no choice.

* * *

This is the first "official" chapter of the story. I's also be clear on a specific point: I am being selective in the content I'm taking from RWBY's lore. For instance, I'm choosing to ignore the God Brothers' existence because I view the addition of Gods in a story that doesn't necessarily require them as LAZY WRITING and refuse to acknowledge it as cannon. And no, this doesn't mean I'm against Christian beliefs if anyone gets that idea. I have no ill will towards ANY religion, but I stay neutral on such things for various reasons that I won't get into.

1/19/20-I've deleted all the author's notes chapters.


	2. Chapter 1

Ruby Rose, leader of the infamous third year Team RWBY, was absolutely livid. Not because Weiss took away all her cookies, again, or Yang teasing her relentlessly-which was more of an annoyance, at best-but because Team CRDL is behind and constantly making horrid racist jokes and it's taking every ounce of restraint she had to not cleave their heads off with Crescent Rose. She was sure no one would care in the slightest, but she had to follow school policy and, quite frankly, they're barely worth the effort involved. Though, she was honestly wondering if that's really good reasons not to make them hurt. The fact that aren't being quiet in the library while Ruby was reading a book was not helping their case.

It's been a couple of years since Ruby entered Beacon two years early and Team RWBY was formed. They were now a third year team and considered Beacon's best students, both as a team and as individuals. The harsh, rigorous training they went through to combat threats like Roman Torchwick and the White Fang has really improved their physical prowess to great heights, with even legends like Pyrrha being reluctant to fight any member of the team, these days. They matured, greatly, as well, becoming better people as well as better warriors-which Ozpin makes no effort of hiding his pride for. They're also well-known for advocates of equal rights for Faunus, which set off a number of people around the world. Especially Weiss's father, Jacques Schnee.

Almost as soon that had reached his ears, the man personally came to "speak" to Weiss, which mostly involved him verbally reprimanding and emotionally abusing her to no end, even when he found himself with her teammates pointing their weapons at him. It culminated in Jacques demanding Weiss to return to Atlas or she's stripped of her status as Heiress. To everyone's shock, she refused and stood her ground on her stance, much to Jacques's anger. Once he left, she broke down crying and was immediately comforted by her team-her _real_ family, now. Blake was especially there for Weiss, which didn't go unnoticed by the sisters.

Now, the four were as close as can be, but still had their disagreements, but none of them would trade each other for anything.

"Hey, did you hear about that hidden Faunus village Vacuo had busted, last week!" one of CRDL's members-likely Sky-said. Ruby sighed, internally, sense another Faunus insult inbound.

"Yeah! Those filthy animals got what's coming to them!" Cardin said with a hearty laugh.

' _Oh, God, why don't they ever shut up!?_ ' Ruby never had a problem with Faunus-something her dad, Taiyang, and Yang share they were just like Humans, just born with some unique features and they're hated for something that's outside their control. And with Blake also being a Faunus in disguise, she's got another reason to be defensive of Faunus.

"I know! Will these freaks ever learn their place?!" Russel said, making Ruby nearly rip her book in half.

' _Must… not… kill… CRDL…_ ' before her thoughts could get any darker, Yang came over and plopped into the chair next to her sister.

"Hey there, sis! You sure look peeved" she said, her head resting in her mechanical arm. She lost her arm to a particularly powerful Beowolf Alpha and had it replaced with a robotic prosthetic-courtesy of General ironwood.

"I am, because of them" Ruby growled, pointing at CRDL.

"No wonder. I get angry just thinking about them and you don't want to know what Blake thinks about them" Yang said with a half-smile. Ruby couldn't help but chuckle. Being a Faunus, Blake had a more personal dislike for Team CRDL and tolerates their insults even less than Ruby did. How she's not tried to kill them, before, was beyond her. After all, she knew no less than four different ways to silently dispose of a body WITHOUT it being traced back to her. That one kind of scares Ruby.

"What are you even doing here, anyway, Yang? Didn't you say you were just going to lounge in the room?" Ruby asked. It was Saturday, so there were no classes and Yang always took full advantage of it.

"Oh, Blake wanted some alone time with Weiss, today" Yang replied, nonchalantly. Ruby just nodded. Ever since Jacques's "visit", Blake had been practically showering Weiss in comfort and it didn't take long for the sister to figure out why. They kept that to themselves out of personal respect for Blake, but were subtly nudging them along.

"So, why are _you_ here, Ruby? Don't tell me you're turning into Blake" Yang said with mock horror.

"Oh, I've been reading this new book series about a outlaw fighting against a corrupt prince. It's really good" Ruby replied, deciding to ignore that jab.

"Ruby, you know I'm not into books" Yang said.

"I know. That's why I never ask you to read with me" Ruby said, in a deadpan tone of voice.

"Hey, look at this one! It has antlers!" Sky exclaimed.

"I know! Why doesn't he cut them off?" Cardin asked, earning a chuckle from his team. Ruby growled, at the end of her patience, now. Yang, quickly noticed.

"Hey, before you commit murder, how about we watch the news?" she suggested, pulling out her Scroll. In minutes, Lisa Lavender appeared.

" _Yet another White Fang base has been assaulted last week, with all of its personnel and supplies being delivered directly to the nearest police station with video evidence linking them to the recent Dust robberies in the area. As with the last ones, the assailants' identity is unknown and the White Fang troops have no new information on who could've done this. The police chief has yet to come forward with anything else on the matter, for the moment, but has to wonder: who or what is giving the White Fang such a fight and what is their goal?_ " she said, sounding as cool as ever. The sisters glance at each other, having heard of this story before. For the last several months, White Fang outposts have been raided by an unknown force, the soldiers and supplies being practically gift wrapped to the police force. Despite their best efforts, no one knows what's doing this, but has been a welcome change, as it's diverted the Fang's attention from causing headaches for the kingdoms and thinning their numbers. The governments of the world are still concerned by this hidden avenger, fearing it may target them once the White Fang is no more.

"Who do you think these guys are, sis?" Yang asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know, Yang. I just don't know" Ruby replied.

" _Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose, and Cardin Winchester. Please report to the Headmaster's office immediately_ " the stern voice of Glynda Goodwitch echoed through the speaker, catching the two's attention.

"Well, sorry to leave you here by yourself, but duty calls" Ruby said, standing up.

"That's alright. I'll head to the training arena if you need me" Yang said and left. Ruby, with Cardin close behind, quietly walked towards the elevator, where Jaune was waiting. After exchanging greetings with Ruby, the three rode up in silence and entered the headmaster's office, where Ozpin and Glynda were waiting.

"Ah, good to see you arrive, so quickly" Ozpin said.

"We came as soon as Glynda called for us" Ruby stated.

"So, why did you want to see us?" Jaune asked.

"I'll be blunt: have you heard of the mysterious force assaulting White Fang outposts?" Ozpin asked.

"Yang and I had just watched the latest news report on it. What about them?" Ruby replied.

"Are we finally putting those weaklings in their place?" Cardin asked, arrogantly, earning unimpressed looks from his two fellow team leaders.

"Essentially, yes. The Vale Council has requested us to investigate the assailants' latest target for any clues as to their identity" Ozpin said, earning the trio's full and undivided attention.

"And, as the top three teams in Beacon, you three will be assigned to this mission" Glynda said.

"Wait, no profession Huntsmen, this time?" Jaune asked.

"No. As Glynda said, you three are our top three Huntsmen teams and Third Years, at that. I do believe you can handle a simple reconnaissance mission, and we will be in constant contact and we will send reinforcements should things prove beyond your skills" Ozpin stated, shocking the three. That shock soon turns to excitement. Their first mission without a supervisor.

"We won't you down, sir!" Jaune exclaimed.

"I know you won't. You will leave at 11:00 A.M., tomorrow. So, I suggest you get a good night sleep. You won't be returning to Beacon for several weeks" Ozpin said. With that, they leave, leaving the two adults to themselves.

"Ozpin, are you sure they are ready for this?" Glynda asked, worriedly.

"They will need to venture out on their own, sometime, Glynda. A mission this simple is an ideal first time, since they will not be expected to engage in combat, but still be able to defend themselves from any would-be threat" Ozpin stated, as calm as ever.

"I know. It's just there something about this that worries me…" Glynda said, somewhat lost in thought.

* * *

Blake Belladonna sat in her teams dorm room, reading a book-as usual-while Weiss sat at her desk, fiddling with Myrtenaster with a combination of fury and focus, having recovered from a recent bout of anger towards her father. She was spouting all sorts of words in native Atlesian that had actually made Ruby and Yang leave the room. Blake didn't mind, as it gave her a chance to be alone with Weiss, even for just a few minutes. Blake really found the whole situation ironic: an ex-White Fang member falling in love with a Schnee. She didn't know how it happened, but it did and everyone that knew-which was only Team JNPR and Yang and Ruby-were laughing at the irony.

After Weiss lets loose another exclamation in Atlesian, Blake sets down her book and heads over to the ex-heiress's side.

"Hey, you alright Weiss?" she asked.

"Let's see: I lost control of my family's company, my father hates me even more, and my name has probably slandered into the ground in Atlas. Does sound like alright to you?" Weiss asked, sarcastically.

"I thought this never bothered you. You were so composed when that man appeared at Beacon" Blake said.

"Like I would let _him_ , of all people, set him get to me. Ugh! I hate that man, so much!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Can't say I disagree. I still remember all those horrid things he said about us" Blake commented.

"You could've let me punch him, you know" Yang said as she burst into the room, much to their surprise.

"Yang? What are you doing here?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, Ruby called and told me to meet in our room. Said she had something important to tell us, but wouldn't say what it was" Yang replied, plopping onto Blake's bed. Seconds later, an excited Ruby bursts into the room, beaming a wide smile.

"So, sis, what's the important you wanted to tell us?" Yang asked, excitedly.

"Girls, Team RWBY has officially been given a mission without instructor supervision" Ruby stated, surprising them.

"Are you serious, Ruby?" Weiss asked, wondering if she heard her correctly.

"Completely serious, Weiss. At 11:00 A.M. tomorrow, we leave on our first independent mission!" Ruby exclaimed, striking a heroic pose, much to her team's amusement. They could share in Ruby's excitement, but they needed to stay calm as to keep from going crazy.

"So, what's the mission?" Yang asked.

"Oh, it's a simple recon mission: we'll be heading to the most recently attacked White Fang base to see if we can learn about who's causing all of this" Ruby explained, piquing Blake's interest. While still not having the highest opinion of the White Fang, Blake still liked to keep tabs on them just in case they ever need to disrupt another of their operations, again.

"So, we'll be doing this alone?" Blake asked.

"Oh, no. JNPR and… CRDL with be coming with us" Ruby said, shuddering at the mention of CDRL, also sending chills down the team's spines, especially Blake's. Faunus aren't allowed to become Huntsmen, period, and Blake worries CRDL will find out about her secret and report it, taking entertainment in Blake's suffering and crushed hopes.

"If that oaf they call a leader hits on me during this mission, I won't be responsible for what happens to him" Weiss growled. This was one of the rae instances she hates that she inherited her mother's beauty and was easily recognizable as a Schnee.

"That goes double for me if they make any of my teammates upset" Yang stated, proudly. Ruby smiled fondly at her team's antics. She wouldn't trade them for anything and would love to call them sisters.

"Anyway, we have all day to get ready for this mission. Ozpin said we'll be gone for a while, so pack _only_ the essentials" she said, shooting a glare at Weiss. The former heiress immediately understand what she meant.

"All that stuff _was_ essential, you dolt!" she exclaimed, blushing.

"You brought a hair curler with you" Ruby said, flatly.

"I'm still a Schnee and, thus, always need to look my best" Weiss said, haughtily. Ruby's glare intensified.

"Fine! I'll travel light, this time" Weiss groaned, then returned to working with her weapon.

"Before we leave, check her bags to make sure she keeps her word" Ruby whispered to Yang, her shot her a thumbs up and mischievous smile. Ruby heads over to Blake.

"You going to be okay, during this mission, Blake?" she asked, knowing how personal this sort of thing is to Blake.

"Yeah. It's likely abandoned, by now, so I likely won't get recognized by any members, as well" Blake stated, flashing a small smile.

"Good to hear and we won't let CRDL do anything to you, either. That's a promise" Ruby said, returning the smile with one of her own. With that, Team RWBY started doing their own things. They were unaware of how much their lives will change, soon.

* * *

"Commander, we have a situation"

"What sort of situation, private?"

"You know that White Fang abse we just raided?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"It appears something important got left behind by the terrorists"

"What is it?"

"Some sort of experimental mech armor. Could be a real problem if they decide to retrieve it"

"Right. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll send a squad to secure it, immediately. Now, go get some rest. You've earned it"

"Yes' sir"

* * *

 **Yes, I'm choosing Monochrome as my ship, here.**


	3. Chapter 2

Today was the big day for RWBY. Today, they were finally going to set on their first unsupervised mission into unknown enemy territory, and they were beyond excited. Some of the other Huntsmen teams, particularly other third years and fourth years, disapproved of sending them, either out of jealousy or because they thought they would be White Fang sympathizers. Those people were ignored. The foursome woke up bright and early and packed for the trip-with Yang keeping her promise of ensuring Weiss didn't bring anything unnecessary-and headed out towards the landing pad. Team JNPR was already waiting for them.

"Hey, Ruby! You excited for this?!" Jaune asked.

"You know it! I've never been this excited in all my life!" Ruby said, giddily. The rest of RWBY stared at her with a "oh, really?" look, knowing just how hyperactive their leader can get. Even after all this time, Ruby's still rather childish and energetic, though she has gotten better at reigning it in, especially with Weiss stepping in to help her calm down.

"Now, all we're missing is Team Jerk" Yang quipped. Everyone couldn't help but agree with how appropriate that name was for CRDL.

"You know, it's not too late to leave without them" Blake suggested, a devious smirk on her face.

"Tempting, but we won't be able to come up with a good excuse, afterwards. No one that works here is an idiot, after all" Ruby said. She had a point. Soon, Team CRDL arrived and they all boarded the bullhead.

* * *

At the abandoned White Fang base, now in ruins, an American dropship came into view. It was double the size of a standard bullhead and was propelled by two large hover engines on either side and was armed with two anti-personal guns mounted on either side of the cockpit. Like most American equipment, it sported a blue and silver color scheme, something the military adopted sometime after the Second Revolution. The dropship landed before several dozen American soldiers hopped out and went to work.

With the advances in technology that were made, American troops now wore a form of armor that projected and personal shield stronger than what most Aura users could produce. This armor covered their upper torso, arms, legs, and waist while the areas in between were covered by a black flexible, yet durable carbon fiber material. Their helmets covered their entire head with a gold visor covering the face. The armor also featured a waist cape, for both style and extra protection for the thighs.

The standard rifle used was similar in shape to a standard assault rifle, but bulkier and with a longer barrel. The trigger and where the other hand held the rifle had a handguard with the clip located between the two and a T-shaped stock. The rifles were silver and black and, unlike normal guns, were actually a form of directed energy weapon, thanks to a major breakthrough some 300 years ago. The magazine was actually a battery for the rifle that fired 30 high-powered bolts before needing to reload.

The commanding officer, a tall buffalo Faunus with dark brown hair in a bun with horns and amber eyes, stepped off last and surveyed as her troops went to work. One soldier came up to her.

"What's the status of the mech?' she asked.

"Uncertain, at the moment. It'll take us some time for us to dig through the rubble and retrieve the container the mech is in" the soldier said.

"How long?" the commander asked.

"At least three days" the soldier replied, cooly.

"Than, get to work. We need to have this mech loaded and be out of here before anyone realizes we're here" she said.

"Understood" the soldier said, saluting.

* * *

The bullhead landed n a large clearing in the forest. Jaune and Pyrrha stepped out first, their shields raised in defense. Yang and Nora followed, both looking eager to hit something. Ruby and Weiss hopped out next, Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster ready to attack. Blake and Ren were the last ones, using their senses to keep a lookout for anything suspicious.

"This is boring! Could you six go any slower!" Cradin said, sarcastically, as he and his team followed him out. Ruby turned to, what she decided was, the bane of her existence.

"In case you haven't noticed, Cardin, but we're miles away from civilization and about to enter the remains of a Human-hating organization that may or may not be completely empty. This is unknown territory, and we can't afford to rush into things" she said with barely contained annoyance. Cardin scoffed.

"Oh, please, we can handle whatever these animals can throw at us. I mean, how smart can they be?" Cardin asked with a hearty laugh, unaware of the angry glare Blake was sending him. She was about to give him a piece of her mind, but Weiss grabbed her arm and shook her head slowly. She, reluctantly, backs down. Ruby growled. One of these days, she's going to introduce Cardin to the business end of Crescent Rose.

"We better get going. We still have a few hours before needing to make camp" Jaune said, diffusing the situation.

"Right. Move out!" Ruby shouted.

"And who made _you_ boss?" Cardin asked, challengingly.

"Yang" was all Ruby said. Next thing Cardin knew, he received a face full of robotic fist, courtesy of Yang. Thankfully, the rest of CRDL wasn't willing to back talk and simply carried their unconscious leader a distance behind RWBY and JNPR.

"Feel better, Yang?" Weiss asked with a smirk.

"Much better, thank you" Yang replied with an enthusiastic smile. Ruby chuckled at her sister's antics. She never changes. The group continued walking through the forest, making small talk along the way. Yang had noticed Weiss and Blake happily chatting with one another and couldn't help but smile. They were so cute, together. They eventually stopped and made camp. Thanks to Weiss, they had a roaring fire going in seconds. They set up their tents and the three leaders were seated around the campfire while everyone else did their own thing.

"Okay, according to this map, the White Fang base should be a couple hours walk from here. We'll head out in the morning" Ruby said, looking over a map.

"What do you think we'll find there, Ruby?" Jaune asked, sharpening Crocea Mors' blade to make sure it stays sharp.

"Who knows. Ozpin said it was abandoned, but they may have moved back in or bandits made it their homebase. We really won't know until we get there" she replied.

"I do hope it's those Faunus-lovers. I have a few words I want to share with them" Cardin said, chuckling evilly. Ruby and Jaune gave him an unimpressed look.

"Our missions is to scout out the base, not bash people's heads in" Ruby said, levelly.

"Says you" Cardin said, challengingly.

"Yes. Says me" Ruby said, her voice and eyes dripping with the promise of pain if he kept this up. Cardin got the message and huffed. He may have been a jerk, but he wasn't stupid. He knew Ruby could easily beat him into the dirt without a second though if she wanted to. So, he left to join his team.

"How has he not been expelled, yet?" Jaune asked.

"I have no idea, but if he keeps acting out of line or tries anything, I'm reporting him to Glynda" Ruby said. Seconds alter, she yawns.

"Well, we better get some sleep" she said and left. Without taking off her clothes, she slipped into her makeshift cot and dozed off.

* * *

It was early morning when they all woke up. They had a quick breakfast, packed up camp, and headed off. Team RWBY took up the lead, followed by JNPR, and finally CRDL. Blake sued her superior Faunus senses to keep an eye out for trouble, be it White Fang or Grimm. Everyone was on high alert. They eventually came up to the WF base, or what was left of it. The whole place was a crumbled ruin that looked as if an army stormed this place.

"This looks like the place" Yang commented.

"Whoever did really made a mess, here" Jaune said. Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose and sued the sniper scythe's scope as a makeshift telescope. She then spotted something down in the ruins below.

"Does anyone have any high-powered binoculars on them? I see something down there" she said. Weiss rustled through her bag and, to relief, she had a pair. She handed them to Blake, as she had the best eyesight out of all of them. With the binoculars, she followed Ruby's gaze and, to her surprise, saw strangers in blue-colored armor surrounding some sort of dig site.

"She's right. There is a large number of people, down there. Looks like they're digging for something" she said.

"Digging for what?" Pyrrha asked, worry in her eyes.

"I can't tell from here. We'll need to get closer" Blake replied. Ruby nodded and quickly came to a decision.

"Team RWBY will head down and investigate. JNPR and CRDL will remain here. That way, we'll be easier to sneak in and we'll signal you if things get out of hand" she said, slipping into command mode.

"Now, hold on-" Cardin started, but stopped when Weiss drew Myrtenaster and blocked his path. Her expression made it clear she will hurt him if he tries anything.

"You sure, Ruby?" Jaune asked, concerned with his friend. Ruby flashed him a smile.

"We'll be fine. Team RWBY, follow me!" she shouted and slid down the rather steep incline. Yang, Weiss, and Blake followed suit in their own ways. Weiss sued her glyphs, gliding gracefully down almost as if she's skating. Blake used her cat-like agility to leap across small ledges and Gambol Shroud to swing across branches. Yang simply jumped down, her insane durability allowing her to shrug off the long fall. Once they were assembled, they sped through the ruined base, keeping to them shadows to avoid detection. They arrived at the digsite and quietly crouched behind some rubble. Ruby peaked from behind her cover and saw quite a armored soldiers standing guard or working on a large drill-like device digging into the ground.

"How's the excavation going?" a female voice asked. Ruby looked around and saw a woman in armor, but with a pair of extra shoulder pads, likely signifying a higher rank.

"Surprisingly, ahead of schedule. We'll have that mech out of here by the end of the day, at this rate" a soldier she was talking too replied.

"A mech?" Weiss, who was crouching behind Ruby, asked.

"Could they be White Fang?" Yang asked Blake, the two behind Weiss.

"No. I have never seen any White Fang member wear armor that looks anything like that" the hidden Faunus replied.

"They could be the ones behind all the attacks on the White Fang" Weiss suggested.

"Possibly" Ruby said.

"So, what's the plan, Rubles?" Yang asked. Ruby thought hard, but snapped out of her thought when Weiss tapped her shoulder. Ruby turned and saw her teammates staring ahead, their eyes wide. Ruby followed their gaze and saw one of the soldiers coming into the few. He saw the four and froze. The two sides stare at each other in silence. The soldier glanced at his comrades, who are within earshot, then back at the four, who are prepared to tackle him if he tried. He finally came to a decision.

"We've got intruders!" he yelled and ducked out of the way as Yang tried to tackle him. His shout caught their attention and they all drew their rifles. Yang yelped behind cover as they open fired. Ruby's Scroll immediately went off.

" _Ruby, what's going on?!_ " Jaune's voice asked.

"We've been discovered! Get your butts over here, now!" Ruby exclaimed, flinching as one of the soldiers' shots hit the wall, causing it to crack. Blake returned fire with Gambol Shroud, in its pistol form. However, the bullets were stopped by a powerful shield surrounding the soldiers.

"They have very strong Auras" she commented. Ruby fired a few rounds from Crescent Rose, but it had the same effect, though the impact did stagger them.

"Their armor looks pretty tough, too. I don't know if our armor-piercing rounds can get through" she said, worriedly.

"What do we do, Ruby?" Weiss asked, having stayed behind cover since her weapon didn't have any ranged weapons apart from launching Dust attacks.

"We need to buy some time for JNPR and CRDL to get here. Freezerburn!" Ruby shouted. Weiss and Yang instantly get the message. To the soldiers surprise, Weiss leapt out of cover and, using Ice Dust, froze the ground, much to their confusion. Yang leapt out next and punched the ice with Ember Celica, melting the ice in second and creating a thick fog, concealing the whole area.

"Pretty clever tactic… Switch to infrared!" the commander ordered. The soldiers tapped the side of their helmets and their vision was replaced with infrared vision, allowing them to see heat signatures.

"Checkmate!" Ruby exclaimed. Weiss and Blake dashed from the fog and began unleashing a barrage of lightning-fast attacks on the soldiers, whittling down their protective shields and deflecting their gunfire. Many of them drew batons from their holsters and and charged, only to be beaten back by the two talented warrior. The commander saw this and drew her own baton, ready to face these two. One soldier tried to shoot Weiss, but Blake kicked the rifle away, causing it to misfire and hit the drill, causing it to spark. This didn't go unnoticed by one soldier.

"Get down! It's going to blow!" she shouted. Before anyone could react, the drew exploded, causing everyone to be blown back. The resulting the shockwave also caused the ground to begin to give way. Before either Weiss or Blake could move, they fell through and as did a lot of the surrounding area, kicking up a lot of dust and debris. Once the dust has settled, Ruby pushed off the large slab of concrete that tried to crush with a loud grunt. As she stood up, Yang had blown up the rocks surrounding her.

"Man, thank god for our Aura, or we would've been finished" she said. Ruby, however, noticed two people were missing.

"Wait, where are Weiss and Blake?" she asked, growing increasingly worried.

'I… don't know…" Yang said, starting to grow worried herself.

"Weiss! Blake! Where are you?! WEISS! BLAKE!" Ruby shouted, at the top of her lung, but no reply.

Now, they were scared.

* * *

 **A new chapter, at last! And on a cliffhanger, no less!**


	4. Chapter 3

Weiss groaned as she slowly came back to consciousness. Most of her body was intact, but she could feel that she had no Aura left and likely had a few injuries. She opened her eyes, which were met with darkness. Guess that explosion knocked them underground and sealed up the hole. Her eyes snapped wide open. Where are her teammates okay?

"Ruby! Yang! BLAKE!" she called out. The last shout earned a loud groan from a nearby boulder. Quickly, Weiss stood up, on shaky legs, and rushed over to the boulder, where Blake was pinned underneath, but still alive.

"Blake, are you okay?" Weiss asked, concerned for her friend and secret crush. Blake groaned.

"Been… better…" she groaned out, obviously in pain. Without speaking, Weiss grabbed the boulder and, with all her strength, tried to pull it off of Blake. However, without her Aura to enhance her physical abilities, she could only move it a few inches, before having to stop. She slammed her fist against the stone in frustration. She should've put more time into strength training with Yang back at Beacon. Blake groaned again, catching Weiss's attention.

"Weiss…" she groaned out, hissing in pain. Weiss, without a second thought, gripped the black-haired girl's hand.

"It's okay, Blake. I'm here and we'll get out of here, together. I'm promise" Weiss said, reassuringly. She heard a grunt and turned around, searching for the source and dreading if it's a Grimm. She is out of Aura and she no idea where Myrtenaster is in the rubble, which means her fighting ability is next to nothing. As she scans the dark cavern, a figure steps into view. However, it wasn't Yang or Ruby. It was the commander of their enemy. Her armor seems to have suffered some damage from the explosion and cave in, but she still had rifle, so that meant she was still armed. That wasn't good.

Almost, immediately, the woman spotted them and Weiss felt her stomach drop. However, instead of shooting them or even pointing her rifle at them, she rushed to their side, much to her worry, confusion, and surprise.

"Is she alright?" the woman asked, kneeling near Blake.

"No, she's injured. And I don't have the strength to get that boulder off of her" Weiss replied, glaring at the woman to let her know she doesn't trust her. The woman paid no heed. Instead, she gripped the builder and yanked it off with a grunt. She must still have Aura left or wasn't as wounded or exhausted as Weiss was. The woman knelt down and seemed to be examining Blake.

"She seems stable, but looks like she suffered a few broken bones" she said, surprising Weiss.

"How do you know that?" she blurted out.

"I'm trained in basic first aid, but this is beyond my skill" the woman replied with a reassuring smile. Blake let out a wheezing cough, causing Weiss to focus on her teammate and forget the woman next to them. Thankfully, Blake's breathing relaxed after a few minutes.

"I'll need to set her broken bones so they can heal properly. Can you help me lay her flat on the ground? The woman asked. Weiss, despite every one of her instincts telling her to say no, nodded and the two helped place Blake on the ground. The woman produced some bandages from some pouch on her lower back and began wrapping her left leg, waist, and right arm in splints, as well as cleaning a few minor cuts she finds. Weiss watched her intently, ready to pounce if this mystery woman tried anything. Her fighting ability may be limited, but she won't any harm come to the woman she, secretly, loved. But, she was also confused as to why this woman, who should be her enemy, was helping them without a second thought. It was completely baffling.

"Why…? Why are you helping us? We were just fighting and yet you're helping us" she said. The woman smiled.

"It's how I've been raised to think. And I have a personal reason to help her" the woman said. Weiss was confused until her eyes spotted something on the top of her head, something she never saw before. A pair of horns.

"You're a Faunus" she said, breathless. The woman smiled and went back to work. She finished wrapping Blake, who seems to have passed out by this point. Weiss sighed.

"So, you don't mind telling me your name? I am Weiss" she said. She left out the Schnee part as she's technically, no longer a Schnee even if her father won't publically announce she's been disowned.

"I'm Samantha Rhodes. You can call me Sam. Everyone does" the woman replied. Weiss quirked an eyebrow, not sure what kind of color that name alluded to, but didn't want to pry into this woman's personal life. Yet.

"So, what do we do, now?" Weiss asked.

"Well, that explosion pretty much sealed us up, down here. You're friend is badly injured, so we can't travel far, and I'm pretty sure nothing we have can't get a signal down, even if it's undamaged" Sam said.

"So… we wait" Weiss concluded.

"Unfortunately so. But, I wouldn't worry. I'm sure our respective groups care enough about us they won't stop until they find us" Sam said, confidently. Weiss smiled at that. Oh, how right she was.

* * *

"Hurry, Yang! Put your back into it!"

"I _am_ , Ruby!"

"Well, put more of your back into it!"

Yang grunted in response. Ever since that strange device blew up, she and Ruby have been trying to dig out their lost partners from the stupid amount of rubble. She didn't care about where those armored guys were, because her teammates' safety was more important, and they haven't shown back up to keep fighting, either. Despite her small frame, Ruby was easily pushing away boulders. Years of wielding Crescent Rose, that weighed more than she did, had did wonders for her natural physical strength, but she's nowhere on the same level as Yang.

"RUBY!" she snapped her head at the voice and saw JNPR rushing towards her, CRDL reluctantly following.

"Sorry it took so long. Getting down that cliff wasn't as easy it looked" Jaune said, panting.

"Nevermind that, now, Jaune. We need your help" Ruby said, not pausing her efforts. Jaune quickly noticed something off.

"Where are Weiss and Blake?" he asked, though he was worried about the answer.

"Buried somewhere under all this rubble. Now, help us" Ruby said, a little too forcefully. Jaune nodded and started helping with second thought. Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren followed suit. CRDL, however, stayed where they were, earning a glare from Yang.

"Hey, you can gawk at your muscles later. Right now, get over here and help" she said. Cardin scoffed.

"Oh, please, they're likely dead, so why bother? Besides, that's what they get for following such a lousy, animal-loving leader whose mother is d-" his insult was promptly cut off by Ruby, who grabbed him by the collar of the shirt he wore under his armor, and pulled him down until they were staring into each other's eyes. Ruby was giving him the fiercest glare he has ever seen and he was now very scared.

"Listen here, Winchester. I've had it with your constant insults and bullying! Two of my teammates are trapped and you **will** help us find them or, when we get back to Beacon, I'm going to make sure you lose your shot at being a Huntsmen by stating you were willing to leave two of your comrades behind! Understand?" she growled, murderous intent in her eyes. Cardin gulped.

"Yes, ma'am…" he squeaked out. Ruby grunted and let go of him. She turned to his team.

"Anyone else have any complaints?" she asked. They shook their heads vigorously. Then, they got to work. Yang watched the whole thing with a sense of pride. Back when she started, Ruby could barely get her team to do what she said when things weren't dire. Now, she's probably the scariest woman alive at Beacon behind Glynda Goodwitch. With a chuckle, she helped Nora with a particularly large boulder.

* * *

Weiss sighed to herself. They have been down here several hours, now, and things have been pretty boring. Sam had set up a light source so they can see. Or, at least, so she could see, as she was the only Human among them. Sam kept watch over them, since she was the only one with a working weapon. Things were rather quiet between them and that suited Weiss just fine. She had a lot of questions about Sam swirling in her head, right now.

"I can tell by your face you are curious about me" Sam said, suddenly. Was Weiss really that obvious?

"Yes. It's just that, you're wearing armor that no kingdom has, not even Atlas. You've been able to keep up with the White Fang where others have failed while keeping to the shadows. You're the most famous unknown group in the world, right now" she stated. Sam chuckled.

"I suppose you have a point. However, I simply cannot tell you everything, for fear of you telling your superiors about us and, thus, expose us to the world when do not wish to" she said.

"I had expected as much. Which is why I didn't ask. But, can you, at least, tell me why you and your friends were here?" Weiss asked. Sam hummed.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. As you, likely, already know, this area used to be a White Fang base. In fact, it was their main R&D Department. Sometime after our initial assault, we learned that they had an experimental mech buried underneath the place" Sam explained.

"Yes, I heard you mention that while you were drilling… So, what will happen to me and Blake, after this?" Weiss asked.

"Depends on who finds us first. If it's my troops, you'll be brought with us so your friend to have proper medical treatment. After that, I don't know, as that's my commanding officer's decision, not mine. If it's your teammates, then I'll simply make myself scarce and we'll prepare for whatever backlash our meeting will cause" Sam explained. Weiss chuckled ruefully.

"Oh, I know all about backlash" she said.

"I take you mean you're falling out with your father?' Sam asked, knowingly.

"So, you know I am a Schnee" Weiss stated.

"Your eyes and hair give it away. I must say, your father doesn't deserve all the wealth and power he wields" Sam said.

"Glad to hear we share that opinion. That man was never my father, but a slavedriver who expected me to follow his instructions to the letter or risk severe punishment. He was very reluctant to let me attend Beacon and when he came to "collect" me, he was very furious at how rebellious I've gotten" Weiss said, causing the woman chuckle in amusement.

"Then, I suppose you decided staying at Beacon was worth more than keeping your claim to the family company?" She asked, smiling.

"Definitely. I wouldn't ever change that decision even if I could. As a Huntress, my political pull would equal his and I intend to use that against him. He'll regret not keeping an eye on me, I assure you" Weiss said, her expression one of determination.

"I like your spirit, Weiss. Such a shame we're, technically, on opposite sides. I'm certain most of the Kingdoms want us in their clutches" Sam said.

"Yes. I may not be Heiress of the SDC, anymore, but I still have access to the information of every kingdom's agenda, as my father saw no reason to strip me of that. They are scared of you, as you're able to best the White Fang, something they haven't even come close to doing. They'll likely either hire you, steal your methods, or kill you if all other options fail" Weiss explained.

"They won't succeed, I can tell you that much. We're more than just a small organization and we're much more powerful than anyone could ever believe" Sam said without a hint of fear. Weiss remained silent at this, seemingly contemplating something. Then, after a few moments, she spoke.

"Perhaps I help you, in some way" she said, catching Sam by surprise.

"Really, now? Why do you wish to do so?" she asked. Weiss took a long glance at Blake's still form, then back at her.

"This world is rather bleak. Faunus aren't allowed to become Huntsmen and barely able to hold any jobs outside of Dust Mines. Many of the governments are becoming more and more overbearing, placing harsher restrictions on the Huntsmen Academies, especially in Atlas and Mistral. A second Great War is coming, many are certain of that. Someone needs to stand against this" she said, her voice remaining level and her eyes full of fire. Sam was rather worried for the state of the world. It mirrors America's own history and the events leading up to WWII too closely. So, she's glad there is someone willing to put her life on the line for this. She just had one last question.

"What about your teammates? I don't want to cause a rift between you and them" she said.

"I wouldn't worry about that. My team agrees with my sentiments and I'm certain they'll help me in any they can. Especially if I bring up this little meeting of ours" Weiss said.

"Be that it may, I'd prefer to have a unanimous decision by everyone you wish to involve. If you can get that, then I'm sure we can work something out" Sam proposed. Weiss nodded in agreement.

* * *

The remnants of Team RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL kept digging well into the night. However, most of them were starting to tire out. Even Yang's energy was starting to wane. Ruby slumped against a large slab of stone, too tired to even get up.

"Okay, as much as I hate to say this, but we need to call it a night and pick this up, tomorrow. Agreed?" she asked. No one objected. So, with whatever strength they had left, they dragged themselves back to camp. Pyrrha helped Jaune, who could barely stand. Yang did the same for Ruby, much to the scythe-wielder's embarrassment.

* * *

Weiss never bothered trying to keep track of how she's been down here. Her Scroll was damaged during the cave-in, making it useless and she was preoccupied making sure Blake was still breathing. When she wasn't, she pondered over her conversation with Sam. She was quite surprised by how she blurted out that request, as she was essentially betraying Beacon and, by extension, Remnant itself, for a stranger she knows nothing about. She was rather amused by that, as well. Still, she was seriously going to have to consider if that's worth it, in the end.

Sam was busy inspecting her rifle. As the only one actually armed, she was the only one that could fend off any Grimm in case they came around. Weiss was absolutely terrible with hand-to-hand combat and without Aura, she couldn't access her Semblance. And Blake definitely couldn't help due to her injuries and being out cold. Things were rather silent between them, but Weiss didn't mind. Suddenly, a loud drilling noise ended that silence. Sam, quick as a flash, stood up and pointed her rifle at where the sound was coming from. Weiss moved closer to Blake, ready to defend her if necessary.

After a few tense moments, the wall busts and a large drill emerges from the wall. As the drill dies down, several soldiers entered the chamber, their weapons darting back and forth, until one of them spots the trio.

"Commander Rhode, you're alright!" a soldier, a male by his voice, exclaimed happily. They all lowered their weapons, despite seeing Weiss and Blake. Weiss assumed that Sam will explain everything.

"I am, soldier" Sam said, curtly.

"Why are these two Huntresses with you, ma'am?" the soldier asked, approaching Sam.

"We got trapped down here. And one of them require medical attention" Sam stated. The soldier nodded and spoke to someone through his com-link. In a few minutes, two soldiers with a stretcher between them arrived and gently placed Blake on said stretcher. Weiss watched with hostility and worry.

"What about the white-haired girl?" the soldier asked. Sam glanced at her.

"She comes with us. She's likely tired and wouldn't want to be away from her friend" she said. Weiss nodded with firmness.

"Now, let's move out!" Sam said. The group marched through the newly made tunnel. Weiss stayed near Blake the whole time, as worried for her friend as ever. She was also worried what leis in store for her with these mysterious people and hopes she can return to her friends, soon.

* * *

 **Finally, another chapter. I would've made this longer, but figured you all have been waiting long enough. This is one of the major ideas I had for RWBY, as I had intended for them to be the first to question where their sympathies and loyalty lie.**

 **A reviewer had brought up some valid points. I'll say this about them: I have NO military background, so any knowledge I have on them is theoretical, at best, and do not know how they operate outside of my own assumptions.**

 **As for Team CFVY, I have a few ideas for them. And yes, I mean silver. I like that combination of colors. If you don't, then you don't have to read this story. I'm not Cardin Winchester(thank goodness).**


	5. Chapter 4

The ride on the shuttle was deathly quiet for Weiss. The soldiers were all silent, either checking their gear or just sitting there. Most of them had their helmets off, allowing her to see a good number of them were Faunus and the rest were Human. Blake would've loved to see this, but she's still out cold, resting on the stretcher, strapped down so she doesn't fall out. Sam was sitting next to her, silently comforting the girl.

"You seem upset, Weiss" she commented, finally breaking silence. Weiss sighed.

"I'm worried about Blake. She and the rest of my team have been the only real family I have. And now, she's injured and off in some dreamland, unaware of what's happening around her. I can't lose her" she explained, trying her best not to cry.

"It seems you see Blake as more than a friend, Weiss" Sam said.

"Am I that obvious?" Weiss asked with a nervous smile. Sam smiled back.

"Not really. I'm just more observant than most. Don't worry, though, our medical staff can patch her right up" Sam said, confidently.

"That's not what worries the most. It's what happens after she's better. I'm not supposed to know you exist, and you no way of knowing that I'll stay silent of this" Weiss said.

"I wouldn't worry too much. Our commanding officer, General Duran, is very reasonable" Sam said.

"We're back at base, ma'am. Prepare for landing" the pilot said. Sam turned to him. They were the closest to the pilot's seat for convenience.

"Roger that" she said. After a few minutes, Weiss could feel the shuttle landing. Once the sound of the engines has fully stopped, every begins unbuckling themselves and Weiss follows suit. Two soldiers roll Blake towards, what Weiss assumed, the infirmary while Sam lead her someone else. Weiss used this time to take in the area. The base was well-hidden deep within the forest. It was next to impossible to see the buildings, even with being this close. Whoever these people are, they're pretty well-funded and have some pretty impressive tech. She elad Weiss to, what was likely, the command center.

Weiss made sure to keep track of her as they walked down the winding corridors. For a military base meant to combat the White Fang, it had a nice, welcoming feel to it. They arrived at a door, which Sam proceeded to knock a few times. After a muffled "enter", the duo entered into a large office fit for a wealthy CEO. Sitting at the desk was a 30-or-so-year old woman in a green military uniform, tanned skin, blue eyes, and red hair that seemed suspiciously more like sharp quills.

"Ah, Commander Rhodes. I've been informed of your situation. I take it this is one of the Huntresses you found?" the asked, knowingly.

"Yes, this is Weiss. Her teammate is on her way to the infirmary, as well" Sam replied.

"Excellent. You may leave. I wish to speak with her, in private" the woman said. Sam saluted and elft, leaving Weiss alone with the group's leader. She gestured for Weiss to take a seat. She complied and sat in one of the, surprisingly comfy, armchairs.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am General Laura Duran. Now, I've already been informed of why you're here and your proposition to Rhodes. That was essentially you offering to betray your Kingdom to a group of total strangers. Not, very smart" General Duran said with a chuckle. Weiss chuckled, as well. She easily saw the lack of logic she had, back there.

"I had a gut feeling about you guys. Sam helped us when she could easily killed us and be done with it. I don't think a common criminal would be so merciful in such a situation, even if it's a ploy" she explained. General Duran nodded.

"You make an excellent point, Weiss. However, as Rhodes must have already stated, I'm not simply going to accept your proposal without accepting your full team's consent. I'm sure you understand" she said.

"I do. But, will I be able to reunite with them or even leave this place, now that I know of your existence?" Weiss asked, worriedly.

"That depends on how well you can keep a secret" General Duran replied. Weiss smirked.

"Blake, the girl I came here with, is a hidden Faunus" she said. General Duran's eyes widen in surprise.

"It's illegal for Faunus to become Huntsmen-stupid rule, by the way-and you and your team doesn't care. That's some bond you have" she said, a look of respect on her face.

"When we first formed, me and Blake could barely stand each. Especially when the White Fang was mentioned. It usually resulted in us getting into a heated argument about it. During one such argument, she accidentally revealed her secret. Ruby and Yang, my other teammates, had to tie me up to keep me from reporting this to Ozpin" Weiss explained, embarrassment written all over her face. To this day, she still doesn't know where Ruby got that massive roll of duct tape from or where she was keeping it.

"I feel there's more to this story you're letting on" General Duran said.

"There is, but that requires explaining some of Blake's personal history and I refuse to do so without her permission. It's an unspoken rule between us" Weiss said. General Duran nodded in understanding.

"Speaking of which, will she be okay?" Weiss asked.

"Don't you worry. Our medical staff will patch her up in no time. In fact, why don't you go see her. I'm sure she'll need you there to keep her relaxed" General Duran replied. Weiss smiled and left without another word. Thankfully, Sam was waiting for her and escorted her towards the infirmary.

* * *

Blake felt beyond sore as she slowly came to. For some odd reason, she felt rather comfortable, but she shouldn't be. She was the filling for a boulder sandwich the last time she checked. She heard a faint beeping noise. Was she in Beacon's infirmary? She had taken some nasty hits. Hopefully, no one removed her bow while she was out or there goes her Huntress career. With immense effort, she slowly opened her eyes and noted she wasn't in Beacon's infirmary. She didn't recognize the place and was slowly beginning to panic. Was she kidnapped? Did the White Fang capture her?

That panic immediately ended upon seeing Weiss enter the room, instantly relaxing her. She looked alright. The white-haired girl quickly spotted Blake and was at her side in an instant. Weiss's hands instantly gripped Blake's.

"Are you alright, Blake?" she asked, her voice and eyes full of concern.

"I'll live, I think" Blake replied with a reassuring smile.

"You will. Just a couple cracked ribs, at best" a woman said. She's never this woman before, but recognizes the armor she was wearing. She's with the soldiers they were fighting! Almost instinct, she moved to attack, but stopped as her side erupted into pain.

"Blake, don't try to move! You're hurt and need to recover" Weiss said, firmly but gently pushing Blake back down.

"But, Weiss, that woman-"

"I know, Blake. Don't worry, they won't hurt us. Just relax and trust me" Weiss said, smiling gently. Blake stared into her icy blue eyes for a good long minute before sighing.

"Alright, but only because I trust you, Weiss. So, how long will I be stuck here?" she asked. The woman shrugged.

"Depends on how nasty your ribs are. But, you should be out of that bed by next month, at least" she said. Blake groaned and plopped her head onto the pillow of her bed.

"Don't worry, Blake. I'll be here, with you, the whole time" Weiss said reassuringly. Blake smiled, but frowned again.

"What about Ruby and Yang?" she asked. Weiss turned to the woman.

"Can we contact them?" she asked.

"I'd ask the General that" the woman replied, coolly.

"I will" Weiss said.

"Weiss, are they-" Blake asked.

"The people fighting the White Fang? Yes, they are. They're also surprisingly friendly and hospital" Weiss said. Blake stared at her.

"Don't bother asking me for specifics. They're very tight-lipped. Understandable, in all honesty" she added, noting Blake's look.

"I'll leave you two alone" the woman said and left.

"You sure you're okay, Blake?" Weiss asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine, Weiss. Really. I'm tougher than I look" Blake replied with a reassuring smile. Weiss didn't seem convinced.

"I know you are, but… I almost lost you in that cave in... Seeing you pinned under that slab of rock, barely moving, filled with unrivaled dread. You were unconscious the whole time and I couldn't shake the feeling you were going to die… I couldn't lose you! I just couldn't!" by this point, the normally proud Weiss was crying without restraint, a look of pure fear in her eyes. Blake was stunned. Sure, Weiss has cried before, but never so openly. Even when she broke down after her father stripped her of everything, she tried to hold back her tears.

"You mean everything to me, Blake. Even more than Ruby and Yang. You've comforted me in my darkest moments. You stood by me, even as my father threatened to vilify you for doing so. You even defended me with CRDL started to target me when they found out about it all. You've been nothing but a pillar of strength for me… I can't bear the thought of losing you…" she continued, trailing off, as if deciding on something.

"... there's also something I need to tell you… something this all has made me realize I need to say it while I can… Blake… I… I… I… Oh, forget it!" she exclaimed, getting angry that she can't seem to spit it out, which is also unusual for the usually blunt Weiss.

"Weiss, what are-oomph!" Blake tried to say but was cut off when Weiss planted her lips directly onto hers. She could not believe it. Weiss, one of her greatest friends and the girl she's secretly in love with, was KISSING her. On the lips. The shock soon faded into bliss as Blake began kissing back. They didn't know how long they stayed like that, but they eventually had to break apart to breath. Their eyes were full of love, now.

"I love you, Blake. Ever since you defended me from my father, my heart has belonged to you" Weiss said, panting lightly.

"Weiss… I love you, too. I don't know how or when, but I do. I never acted on them because I didn't know if you would return them. But, now…" Blake said, about ready to cry.

"If my father was here, he'd be absolutely furious" Weiss chuckled. Blake giggled.

"Same with the White Fang. A Schnee dating a Faunus. They'd probably be foaming at the mouth" she said. Adam would probably crucify her if he found out, but she didn't care. His grip of fear on her faded long ago.

"So, what do we do, now?" Blake asked.

"Just sit tight until you get better, I suppose" Weiss shrugged, not really sure, herself.

"Do you think they'll let us get ahold of Yang and Ruby?" Blake asked.

"I'll ask the General, but if she's says no, I'll still call them. No one's keeping Team RWBY apart. Ever" Weiss said, firmly, as she made her way out of the infirmary.

"Don't go anywhere" she said. Blake gave a "really?" expression at that obvious joke. Even after all this time, Weiss still can't make a funny joke.

* * *

Yang woke with start. Once she got her bearings, she remembered she was in her tent with Ruby after they returned to camp when they got too tired to keep digging. She heard what woke her up and saw it was her Scroll. Wondering who could be calling her at this time, she answered.

"Hello?" she asked.

" _Yang? Is that you? Can you me_ "?

Yang's heart nearly stopped. That voice…

"Weiss?" she asked, hesitantly.

" _Yes, it's me! Thank Oum you answered!_ " Weiss exclaimed, happily.

"I should be saying that. We thought you were buried under a mountain of rubble" Yang said.

" _You weren't wrong, but first, is Ruby there? There's something I need to you both about. And ONLY you two_ " Weiss said firmly. Thoroughly confused, Yang complied and went over to Ruby, who was still sound asleep.

"Ruby, wake up" she whispered, but Ruby only stirred.

"No, big blue thing, those are my cookies…" she murmured in her sleep. Yang ignored this and tried shaking her awake, but that did nothing. Of all the times for Ruby to be a heavy sleeper. Thankfully, Yang had a plan for this.

"Hey, Ruby, I'm eating your cookies" she said. Instantly, Ruby's eyes snapped open.

"No, don't them, they're mine!" she shouted, but was met with Yang's prosthetic hand over her mouth. She made a gesture to be silent and removed her hand.

"So, what's up?" Ruby asked, wondering why she was being woken up this late.

"Ruby, you're not going to believe who just called" Yang said handing the Scroll to Ruby. With a raised eyebrow, she answered.

" _Ruby, can you hear me?_ " Ruby was pretty sure her heart just stopped.

"Weiss?" she asked.

" _Yes, Ruby, I'm safe and sound. Blake is, too. Now, listen to me carefully. I need you and Yang to meet me somewhere south of the ruined White Fang abse. By yourselves. That means no bring along Team JNPR and, for Oum's sake, no CRDL!_ " Weiss explained, making Ruby worry.

"Is there something wrong, Weiss?" she asked.

" _No. I know I'm sounding suspicious and secretive, right now, but I need you both to trust me on this. I would never do anything to deliberately harm either of you, so please, come alone. I'll explain everything once you're here_ " Weiss said, then hung up. The sisters glanced at each other, wondering why Weiss wanted them to be alone. Nevertheless, they respected Weiss's decision and gathered their weapons to meet up with their missing teammates. They trudged through the forest, glad it was only past midnight, as they would be able to get back before they were missed. The two remained on guard, in case Grim got the bright idea of taking them on. They eventually reached where Weiss said to meet and they saw two figures standing in a small clearing. As they got closer, they could see Weiss's distinctive white hair in a side ponytail. The other one wasn't Blake, but some woman that was dressed in the same armor as those guys. They're first instinct was to attack her, but stopped themselves when they saw Weiss was casually talking with her, meaning she was no threat. When Weiss saw them, she smiled in joy and, without hesitation, ran up to hug them, tightly.

"We thought you were paste" Ruby said, happily.

"I wasn't. She helped us escape that cavern we were trapped in" Weiss said, gesturing to the woman, who they could now see was a Faunus from her horns.

"My name is Samantha Rhode" she said. Ruby and Yang looked at Weiss with confusion. Just what color is that? Weiss simply shrugged.

"Okay, Weiss. You're here, but where's-" Ruby was about to ask.

"Blake is safe. She had taken some damage in the collapse and is being treated by these people" Weiss said, again gesturing to the woman.

"Speaking ow ich, who is she and what are these people?" Ruby asked.

"They're the ones who've been hounding the White Fang, but that's all I know. They wouldn't say anything until our entire unanimously agreed to keep it a secret" Weiss said.

"Seriously? We've promised to keep Blake's secret, despite all of us ending up in jail for it. I think that should be enough" Yang said, confidently.

"True, but better safe than sorry" Samantha said, finally joining the conversation.

"Okay, you can trust us, so who are you guys?" Ruby asked.

"We are with the United States military" Sam said, earning confused looks from the three Huntresses.

"United States? Never heard of anything like that in any of the Four Kingdoms" Weiss said.

"We're not part of any kingdom. The U.S. is far older than any living nation, but we've only known of the Kingdoms for about a few decades" Sam said.

"Then, how come no one's run into you guys before?" Yang asked.

"You know that thick fog off the coast of Vacuo? We're located inside it and we also made sure our presence isn't known until we feel it's the right time" Sam replied.

"And the attacks on the White Fang?" Ruby asked.

"Step one of that plan. And, come on, have you seen them? They're completely nuts!" Sam exclaimed.

"Can't argue with you there. I had the unfortunate honor of interrogating one. I was three seconds away from impaling him. The guy just wouldn't shut up about how self-righteous they are and how they'll put Humanity in chains. That sort of attitude is exactly why Faunus are mistreated, people!" Weiss said, her face turning red with anger.

"Something we agree on. Terrorists, like them, always claim they're fighting for a just cause, but their methods are often even worse than what those they're fighting against have done. Trust me, this isn't the first time we had to clean up after someone else's mess" Sam said.

"You sound as those Faunus are treated equally in your eyes" Weiss mused.

"Equality and Liberty are the cornerstones and foundation of all of the U.S.'s laws. It's no mistake we are called the Land of the Free. We are greatly ashamed by how prejudiced the world has gotten and, when the time comes, help it reach a more prosperous future" Sam said. The RWY trio are starting to really like this woman.

"Then, why hide? Why not come out, now?" Ruby asked.

"Think about it: we're a nation that does not follow the rules of the other Kingdoms. We spit in their laws' faces without a second thought. And we view the Faunus as equals. How do you think the Kingdoms, especially Atlas, will react to such a land?" Sam asked.

"Violently. If they can't talk into joining your way of thinking, they'll make you" Ruby replied, grim-faced. She hates this fact so much, it's a wonder she hasn't gone rogue, yet.

"Yes, and, while we're confident we can fend them off, we are not taking any chances. Once we have learned all we can about each Kingdom, we'll reveal ourselves. But, honestly, that's a decision I'm not going to make. I'm a soldier, not a politician" Sam said. Ruby glanced at her two teammates. Weiss nodded in approval while Yang flashed her a smile.

"What can we do to help?" Ruby asked. Sam looked surprised.

"First Weiss and, now, you. It seems they don't do much to encourage loyalty, I see" Sam said.

"Not really. I'm pretty much only fighting to protect my family and friends from the Grim and that's it" Ruby said.

"Well, this is something that needs to be discussed with my commanding officer. If it's alright, I'll escort you to her" Sam said, impressed by their conviction.

"Hold on" Ruby said before typing something on her Scroll.

"Ruby, what are you doing?" Weiss asked.

"Sending a message to Jaune, telling him me and Yang went out for an all-day patrol. Don't want him getting worried, Okay, let's go" Ruby said. Sam nodded and began leading them back to base.

* * *

 **Finally got another chapter out. Things are getting interesting. I'm hoping to start showing scenes in America, soon, but we'll see how it goes.**


	6. Chapter 5

Washington D.C., the capital city of the United States. Since it's construction, it has been the epicenter of North American politics, as most of the politicians and other government-level officials called this place their home. Much like America, itself, it's had its fair share of troubles, from the White House being burned down once long ago, the March on Washington by Martin Luther King, and even the Second Revolution. The thousand years following that last event have been kind to the city. They were usually the first to receive any new innovations, making it the most modern city in the country.

In the White Houses' Oval Office, Maya Romanoff, the current President, was busy going through a series of documents. They were the usual sort, but Maya's never been one to put things off, so she often got them out of the way, immediately. Her work was momentarily interrupted when General Isaac Smith came into the office.

"Yes?" she asked, her leopard tail swaying back and forth casually.

"We have an update from General Duren that might intrigue you" he replied, handing her a file. As she read through, she was surprised by the info. An entire Huntress Team from Beacon had defected to them? She figured it wouldn't be that easy to sway them, but guess she was wrong. Their team leader was quite an interesting one.

 _Name: Ruby Rose_

 _Age: 18_

 _Nationality: Vale_

 _Primary weapon: Crescent Rose(High-Caliber Sniper Scythe)_

 _Semblance: Speed_

 _Additional notes: was accepted into Beacon two years early._

A prodigy, it seems. Beacon only accepted the most skilled and brightest of students, so to be able to enter two years early is quite an achievement. While a scythe has, historically, been improbable as a weapon, it seems Ruby was able to make it work. Let's see who's next.

 _Name: Weiss Schnee_

 _Age: 20_

 _Nationality: Atlas_

 _Primary weapon: Myrtenaster(Multi-Action Dust Rapier)_

 _Semblance: Glyphs_

 _Additional notes: Former heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. Still possesses a great deal of influence, regardless._

Schnee. How unexpected. And Jacques' youngest daughter, at that. Many in America did not like Jacques Schnee for his rather poor labor policies and the fact that all he cares about is money, sacrificing the company's soul in exchange for profit. He's certainly not going to be able to set up any Dust shops in this country, as America's labor laws would shut them down in an instant. But, the fact that his daughter was nothing like him is quite refreshing. Shame he gave the company to his son, who was essentially a carbon copy of the man.

 _Name: Blake Belladonna_

 _Age: 20_

 _Nationality: Menagerie_

 _Primary weapon: Gambol Shroud(Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe)_

 _Semblance: Shadow_

 _Additional notes: Former White Fang member. Daughter of Ghira and Kali Belladonna._

Now, that was unexpected. The White Fang was one of America's biggest enemies in this day and age. They were just like any typical terrorist faction; claim to be fighting for a noble cause, but are in reality just as bad, if not worse, than those they're fighting against. The fact Blake is a former member shows she has a good head on her shoulders. She was curious as to how a Faunus was able to enrol into Beacon. Faunus weren't allowed to become Huntsmen, no exceptions.

 _Name: Yang Xiao Long_

 _Age: 20_

 _Nationality: Vale_

 _Primary weapon: Ember Celica(Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets)_

 _Semblance: No known name. Draws strength from taking damage_

 _Additional notes: Daughter of Raven Branwen._

This girl was quite an interesting one. Her mother's the leader of one of the most ruthless bandit tribes in the world, yet she seems to be rather upbeat and friendly, unlike Raven herself. Probably because she was raised by her father and Summer Rose, Ruby's mother. All reports say she's searching for Raven, seemingly unaware of the woman's true nature. Hopefully, she doesn't end up following in Raven's footsteps.

"They certainly are an interesting bunch. Is there any reason for their defection?" Maya asked.

"Apparently, they disliked the system in place and were major pro-Faunus supporters, by what they've told us" Isaac replied. Maya hummed in thought. Her tail kept flicking around as she mulled over this new development.

"How did these girls come across us, anyway?" she asked.

"They, along with two other teams, stumbled upon an operation to retrieve an experimental White Fang mech and Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Commander Rhodes were both trapped. Blake was injured in the collapse, so she was brought to General Duren's base to receive treatment. And once they learned more, they immediately offered their aid" isaac explained.

"Just like that? No shows of trustworthiness?" Maya asked, incredulously.

"Surprised me when I read it, too. But, we've been meaning to get a team inside Beacon, for a while now. This seems like a good opportunity. They're anti-White Fang and they seem to possess quite a track record for taking on high risk missions with little trouble, from what little we know about Beacon indicates" Isaac said. Maya was impressed by that. They appeared to be a Third-year team, yet they seem more on par with fully trained Huntsmen.

"I'm willing to, at least, give them a chance. But, I'm rather worried for their safety. Their government won't take kindly to both them harboring a Faunus and backstabbing them at the same time" Maya said.

"And there's the White Fang. They've been getting more and more drastic with their methods. Public, as well. We may have to reveal ourselves sooner than we think" Isaac stated.

"Then, I think it's time we bring in some reinforcements" Maya said with a smile. Now, she had a few calls to make. Wonder if her sister was available.

* * *

"So, a month, huh?"

"That's what they said"

Team RWBY was sitting in the infirmary. Weiss and Blake had just finished telling the sisters what had happened. Including their new relationship. Ruby's squeal was probably loud enough to alert every Grimm within five miles of her. Yang would've hugged them with all her might, but didn't since Blake was still injured. But, she promised she'll hug her when she isn't hurt, making Blake somewhat wish she never recovers. Yang's hugs were worse than fighting a pack of Apathy. And that's saying something.

"Well, at least you'll be okay" Ruby said, happily.

"I still can't believe you two finally hooked up. You two were nearly as hopeless as Jaune and Pyrrha" Yang said. Blake smiled and looked down at her hand, which was firmly in Weiss's. The two held hands ever since Weiss came back to her side.

"It doesn't matter, now. We're together and happier than we've ever been. In all honesty, coming to Beacon was the best decision I've ever made" Blake said.

"Heck yeah, it is! I probably would've never met you guys if I didn't" Yang.

"Me and Weiss certainly wouldn't" Ruby said. Weiss nodded in agreement. Had she listened to her father and stayed in Atlas, she wouldn't have never met these quirky girls and would, most certainly, never have met the love of her life.

"So, what happens now?" Yang asked. No one had an answer for that.

"I believe I can answer that" general Duren said, entering the infirmary.

"So, did they give an answer?" Weiss asked.

"They did. They're willing to let you help. We've been trying to put a mole in Beacon for a while, now. Not easy to do with how observant and cunning Ozpin is" General Duren said. Ruby nodded in understanding. Ozpin was indeed a very cunning man. It was hard to hide something from him, for long. One example is Jaune's fake transcripts, which he knew were fake the second he read them. Oum knows why he let him stay, but no one's complaining. Except maybe Cardin, but no one really cares what he thinks.

"So, you want to act as inside people? Sounds reasonable… but don't expect us to go around and hack into secure terminals or spying on important, for you" Weiss said, sternly.

"We won't. We already have trained professionals for that. But, you will help us get to know how Vale's Huntsmen operate and how their relation to the Council is. While I'm certain our politicians can handle dealing with them, it never hurts to be prepared" General Duren explained.

"Uh, what about Weiss and Blake? As far as Teams JNPR and CRDL know, they're buried under a massive pile of rubble. And we'll have to return to Vale in a few weeks, but Blake will need a month to recover. Not a very ideal situation" Yang said with a small pout.

"A valid point, Yang. And one that we'll need to address. Having you two appear suddenly without a plausible explanation would look suspicious, especially if anyone decides to start digging deep…. We may have to split you up" General Duren said, shocking the four girls.

"Split up Team RWBY?! Out of the-" Ruby started to protest, but Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby, she's right. There are too many variables in play for us to simply just return, together. And Jaune isn't as dumb as he looks" she said. Ruby looked uncertain.

"You sure about this, Weiss?" she asked her best friend. Weiss smiled.

"I am. I'm certain the general here will find us other things we can do once Blake is back on her feet" she said.

"Don't worry about us, Ruby. We can handle ourselves. We're the best of the best, remember?" Blake asked with a knowing smile. Ruby chuckled then ehr Scroll went off. Ruby walked off to answer it while the rest of RWBY stayed.

"I'm curious, what is your plan for if you step into the light?" Weiss asked.

"That answer is way out of my pay grade. I'd ask one of the politicians that if you want a clear cut answer" General Duren replied. Ruby came back.

"That was Jaune. He's wondering where we are" she said.

"Welp, sounds like it's time for us to head back. Don't you two do anything stupid while we're gone" Yang said.

"How can we? You won't be here to infect us with your stupidity" Weiss said with a teasing smirk.

"Oh, very funny, Princess" Yang said with a chuckle.

"Come on, Yang. We shouldn't keep them waiting" Ruby said, dragging her sister out of the infirmary. General Duren chuckled.

"You seem to act more like sisters than teammates," she commented.

"And I wouldn't want it any other way," Weiss stated, proudly.

* * *

 **Finally got another chapter out. I'm going to have to ask you to bare with me a while. I seem to be suffering from a desire to NOT do these stories, for some weird reason.**


	7. Chapter 6

The sister duo returned to their camp later than expected, mainly because Ruby wouldn't stop hugging Weiss, forcing Yang to use her monster strength to pry her sister off the former Schnee heiress, who was more amused than annoyed by this. When they returned, Jaune asked them about what kept them and they were able to lie their out of, which made Ruby feel really bad. Jaune was one of her best friends, almost like a brother to her, so having to keep a secret from him was rather saddening for her. Yang had comforted her when they were alone, understanding how this made her feel very easily. The next few weeks went by relatively quickly, with them mostly doing scouting missions to see if they can find where those men went to. The sisters acted like they were still sad their partners were gone as to not arouse suspicion and even kept pretending to try and dig them out.

Soon, it was time to return back to Beacon and Ruby, who was considered the overall leader of the three teams, was called into Ozpin's office, where she gave her report, but left out certain details for obvious reasons.

"So, these strange men were digging for something in the old White Fang?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. We managed to overhear them, a bit. Something about an experimental mech the White Fang ahd stored there. We were discovered and got into a massive firefight with them" Ruby explained.

"Which caused the explosion that collapsed a large part of the area, along with Miss Schnee and Belladonna going missing, correct?" Glynda surmised.

"Yes, ma'am. We don't know if they survived or not, though" Ruby replied.

"Which is extremely unfortunate. They were among our best and brightest students. I am deeply sorry for your loss" Ozpin said. Ruby put her acting skills to the test and donned the best fake sad smile she could muster.

"Thank you, sir. It was difficult to leave without them. I hope they're alright" she said, even throwing a false cracking of her voice. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on anything.

"Is there anything else of importance you'd like to mention?" he asked.

"No, sir. That was everything" Ruby replied.

"Thank you, miss Rose. You may return to your dorm, now" Ozpin said. Ruby nodded and left, all the while Glynda gave her a look of sympathy. She couldn't imagine what the young girl could be feeling right now.

"She's lying" Ozpin said, suddenly, shocking Glynda.

"What?! How can you be so sure of that!" she demanded in disbelief. She knew Ruby wasn't the type to lie without a good reason, especially when it involves something so important as this. That was something she admired about the girl.

"It's subtle, but her voice was too steady for her to be grieving about the loss of half her team. And she's nowhere near ruthless enough to accept their deaths so easily. Then, there was her eyes. They had the look of something knowing more than they let on" he explained, calmly.

"Are you saying she's hiding something? Why?" Glynda asked.

"I do not know, Glynda, but it is something to keep to keep in mind in the future" Ozpin replied.

"More importantly, we didn't you confront her on it?" Glynda asked.

"I doubt she would reveal the truth to us so easily. And she is more cunning than you realize" Ozpin replied, sipping from his mug. Glynda was satisfied, but was worried about what Ruby could possibly be keeping from them.

* * *

Ruby enters her dorm room, sighing in both relief and tiredness. Having to lie to ozpin-and he clearly knows it-was hard. How politicians handle keeping literal books full of secrets is beyond her understanding. Hopefully, Ozpin doesn't get suspicious of her and investigate things deeper.

"So, he bought it?" Yang asked from her bunk.

"Yang, there is no way he did. He isn't the youngest person to become headmaster of Becaon because he was stupid. Thankfully, he didn't pry, but he will likely keep a close on us. Being moles is not going to be an easy thing to do while he's in charge" she said, plopping onto Weiss's bed. She already misses her best friend and partner. Suddenly, her Scroll beeped and she was shocked to find it was from Weiss. Or so it looked like.

"Hello?" she asked, cautiously.

"Y _es, it's me, Ruby. Surprising, isn't it? Turns out, these Americans have somehow placed these devices called satellites into orbit and used them to connect me to your Scroll. I'm still getting over the shock myself, in all honesty_ " Weiss explained, causing Ruby's eyes to widen. This America keeps finding new ways to surprise them. Everyone knows that Dust doesn't work outside of Remnant's atmosphere-learned that part the hard way. So, space travel was pretty much abandoned as a result. So, the fact these guys found a way to not only travel into space, but establish permanent stations in orbit was astonishingly impressive.

"So… any reason you're calling us? I'm sure our new friends wouldn't let you do this without a good reason" Ruby said.

" _And I do have one. General Duren-the woman in charge here-and I discussed how we were going to share information with you and Yang at Beacon and I jokingly lamented we couldn't use our Scrolls due to being outside the range of the CCT network. Apparently, she took it seriously and viola! According to her, we can contact each other in any part of the world, now_ " Weiss said, sounding both surprised and happy at the same time. Ruby felt the same way.

"How's Blake doing?" Ruby asked.

" _Better. She's allowed some limited time to walk around with crutches, but she's still required to stay in bed. Other than that, same old. Also, Duren has some orders for you two_ " Weiss said. Ruby immediately went into serious mode.

"What does she want?" she asked.

" _Well, the first order was going to be to gather information on Beacon's faculty, but I'll be handling that part, while also giving them relevant info on my family and the company, as well. So, she wants you to locate and list any places in Vale where large numbers of non-White Fang Faunus regularly gather. Apparently, they plan on setting up hidden shelters for them_ " Weiss explained.

"Does she wants us to find any White Fang outposts, as well?" Ruby asked.

" _For now? No, but she won't mind if you end up stumbling on a few. Just mark them as being White Fang hideouts on the list. Also, there's no time limit on this. So, if you need to wait for long periods between searches, than you're free to do so, but the general expects a report every month or so_ " Weiss replied. Sounded easy enough and Ruby mentally scolded herself for not coming with that idea herself.

"Quick question: how long do you think it will be before Ozpin starts really looking into our activities, from now on?" Ruby asked.

" _Not sure, but we can avoid it for a long time if we can keep this low. As in, we tell no one about this. Not even JNPR can know. Also, before I forget, when you finish the list, you are to hand it to a woman named Coco Adel. She can be found at someone called the Crow Bar every Saturday_ " Weiss said.

"Right, got it, Weiss. I better go before Nora barges in, again. Goodbye" Ruby said and hung up.

"So, who was that?" Yang asked, curious.

"Believe it or not, it was Weiss. And we have our first American assignment" Ruby said.

* * *

"The intruders have breached the outer walls!"

"They have us outnumbered!"

"Oh, Oum, we are so dead!"

It was another bad day for the White Fang as American troops raided another one of their outposts in Vacuo. The White Fang troops stationed there tried to prepare themselves, but considering the Americans ensured no one got away, that had very little knowledge on their enemy. It was a slaughterfest. Amid it all, the Americans' commanding officer, Velvet Scarlatina stood tall and proud, even as her fellow Faunus were gunned down.

Unlike standard soldiers, Velvet was actually given specialized training that would've made Kingdom natives consider her a Huntress. She had Aura unlocked along with her Semblance and used Dust-powered weaponry-particularly Hard Light Dust-rather than regular American equipment. Because of this, she was considered akin to a general in terms of authority among regular troops, and many had taken to calling them Jaegers. They were sort of celebrities due to how rare they were, since highly trained, Adventurer-esque warriors weren't needed in America, but many had adopted traditions and practices found in the Kingdoms, such as the Color Naming Rule, which Velvet was a product of.

Velvet casually walked among her troops as the last of the White Fang militants were either killed or captured. While America wanted to bring the White Fang to justice, they weren't going to be merciful with them. If they need to kill a few members, than that's perfectly fine, as they weren't civilians or "forced volunteers" so to speak. It always broke her heart that a once peaceful organization let their own hatred turn them into full-blown terrorists. She's read the stories of the terrible things ancient Terrorist groups had done that they believed were for a noble cause. It's always been said every villain is the hero of their own story.

"How many prisoners?" she asked as she approached a soldier.

"About twenty or so. Mostly ones who surrendered. Sad part is most of them look like they were forced into this" the soldier replied. Velvet got a good look at them and her heart sank at how right he was. Most of them were barely 17 and looked beyond terrified of dying; many of them had a look she recognized. The look of someone who never wanted to fight at all. Oh, how twisted the Fang has become.

"Right, you know the standard protocol for them, so I won't repeat myself" Velvet said. The man saluted and went off the pre a transport. Velvet stayed to keep an eye on the prisoners. Suddenly, she heard a small whimper. Curious, she weaved through the weary crowd of prisoners and her heart sank even further. It was an eight year old boy. He was completely dirty and wore worn out clothes with no shoes. His black hair was matted and he looked up at Velvet with frightened dark yellow eyes. Behind him a wolf tail was curled up. Velvet felt anger boiling inside of her. Is the White Fang really gone as far as to force children fight?! The boy continued to whimper, causing all of her anger to fade and be replaced with concern.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, gently, kneeling down to his level with a kind smile. The boy was about to reply, but another voice cut him off.

"Get away from him you traitorous wretch!" it was one of the vetern members that was among the captured prisoners. He was some sort of horse Faunus, judging from the equine ears where a pair of Human ears would be.

"Traitorous wretch?" she parroted in a low voice. Since she was American, she didn't have any reason to hide her animal trait;a pair of rabbit ears. A number of the soldiers with were Faunus, as well, but due to the armor, it was difficult to tell. So, to him, it looks like a Faunus is serving Humans, something that the hite Fang utterly despises.

"Yes, you have sided with our slavers and now you're trying to corrupt an innocent child with your blasphemous lies," the man said, making something in Velvet snap. Normally, she was very slow to anger, but the sheer amount of hypocrisy had actually angered her enough to slap the man across the face with enough force to knock him to the ground.

"You're the ones who corrupted him by forcing him to fight, despite his age! Have you no shame?!" she shouted, anger writing on her face. This actually got the attention of her troops, who are unused to seeing her so angry.

"What we do is in the name of a noble-GAH" the man never got to finish his sentence as Velvet brought her foot down on his side. Despite her tiny frame, she was much stronger than she looks, especially when she used her legs. Another benefit of being a rabbit Faunus.

"There is nothing noble about a group that forces children to fight! You stopped caring about equal rights for Faunus and now only want to hurt others, both Human and Faunus!" she shouted, venom lacing her every word. Once she was done, two soldiers came and dragged the man away, even as he started spouting out insults to them the whole time. Once he was gone, she turned back to the boy, who was still frightened but noticeably calmer. She kneeled down to his level, smiling again.

"Are you okay?" she asked again.

"Y-eah… You talk funny" the boy said, making Velvet nearly laugh, but she did smile.

"Oh, I talk funny, do I?" she asked, amusement evident in her voice and eyes.

"Yeah, you sound so strange" the boy said. He must be referring to Velvet's accent. For whatever reason, she spoke with a distinct British accent that her friends say it makes her even more adorable.

"It's called an accent. What's your name?" she asked.

"Brann" the boy said, starting to relax at seeing she meant him no harm.

"Hello, Brann. I'm Velvet. Where are you parents?" she asked him. Brann immediately looked sad.

"T-they left me with these bad men, all because I didn't hate Humans like them. They were so mean to me the whole time and disowned me when I talked back to them" he said, on the verge of tears. Velvet's motherly instincts kicked in and she immediately hugged the boy, whispering soothingly into his ear.

"It's okay, Brann. Those nasty people couldn't see how amazing your are, but they can't hurt you anymore" she said, smiling lovingly.

"What about them?" Brann asked, gesturing to the rest of the prisoners.

"They'll be going through some rehab and, after that, given a place to live, peacefully. Same with you. I'll personally make sure you get a nice, loving home" Velvet said. Brann began wiping away his tears and looked at Velvet with hope-filled eyes.

"Really?" he asked.

"Really" Velvet said, firmly yet softly. Brann smiled brightly and gave Velvet a massive hug, which she eagerly returned.

"Ma'am, we've got Vacuo authorities inbound. ETA: 30 minutes" a lookout called, sending Velvet into full command mode.

"Forget the equipment in the base, just load up the prisoners and deploy as large of a smokescreen as we can" she commanded. A chorus of "yes, ma'am" echoed from the soldiers. Several of them helped the still bound prisoners board a large transport. Velvet helped Brann aboard. Several soldiers launched a couple of smoke bombs that detonated on impact with the ground. Once they were sufficiently concealed, everyone boarded into their transports and took off. Minutes later, a group of very confused Vacuo troops arrived at the base, not seeing the unfamiliar transports flying away in the distance.

* * *

 **Finally getting back into the swing of things.**

 **Now, one reviewer a very detailed list of details that need attention, which I completely overlooked. I completely forgotten just how potentially lethal nuclear radiation is to organic beings, and a worldwide earthquake would've surely caused them to explode. But, I'm not going to worry about that unless I want ANOTHER rewrite of this story. Another was the satellites. Again, that completely slipped my mind a bit and I'm hoping I can, at least, start fixing that problem.**

 **As for the God Brothers, Ozma and Salem. I'm completely ignoring that all as canon. I don't think it's bad writing for Ozpin and Salem's backstory either, but I simply just can't accept the existence of gods in this story. I enjoyed the mystery that pre-Volume 4 RWBY had for its creation and the God Brothers completely destroyed that for me. I could barely bring myself to keep watching it after that.**

 **Simply, I personally feel including Gods in a story where they aren't really necessary to be a cheap excuse plot. There, I said it. Now, I have gotten over this and can enjoy RWBY, again(still trying to accept that Pyrrha's dead, though, but that's true for about everyone). But, that doesn't mean I enjoyed every part of it. I'd say it was just fine before Volume 4's lore reveals. Also, for the lack of anti-Faunus oppinions, I've got two reasons: one, I was vague in the timeline, so there still could've been some prejudice that eventually died out or become a minority. And 2: I'm a bit of an idealist and enjoy seeing people get along, period, even if it's unrealistic. That doesn't mean I'm naive, though.**

 **And yes, Team CFVY are American. One of many changes I'm making to RWBY's world.**

 **Now, back to the history of Ozma and Salem, if you can come with new ideas that fit will allow to exist as they are without breaking my story's altered canon, then I might allow them to exist in some capacity.**


	8. Chapter 7

**02/17/20-Made some changes to the lore. Check out below.**

* * *

Blake smiled in contentment. She has finally fully healed and can finally walk around on her own, now. Weiss looked disappointed at that, obviously loving the fact her new lover was so dependent on her. Blake was still getting used to this whole relationship thing, but the constant feelings and joy and safety the snow-haired woman gave her was worth it. No one, not even Adam, made her feel this way before and it was wonderful. Now she no longer needed to stay in the infirmary, she and Weiss were given their own private room in the base. The room was rather spacious and luxurious that Blake was having a hard time believing she was in a military base. The beige carpet colored carpeting felt nice against her feet after they were stuck in her shoes for so long or had to walk over the cold floors of the infirmary. Speaking of uncovering, due to the pro-Faunus attitude these Americans had, she found no reason to keep her disguise. She removed her bow and contacts, showing her ears and slit eyes, and managed to get a hole for her tail to fit through. After so long pretending to be Human, she almost forgot what her appearance looked like. Now, she was enjoying showing her true self, now.

Weiss certainly liked it too, but that was probably because she was a cat person. She had spent a full hour just scratching Blake's ears and the Faunus couldn't resist purring in delight, which only seemed to make Weiss want to scratch them even more. General Duren, thankfully, came to the rescue and supplied her with a computer that had many devices from America on it, which kept her occupied. That was three hours ago, so whatever on that computer must be really interesting the Schnee, which made Blake slightly jealous. Over a computer, of all things! Thankfully, she was able to occupy herself with a collection of books from America with some really interesting, such as this particular one she was reading called "Five People You Meet in Heaven" which had a really intriguing and thought-provoking concept she hasn't read anywhere else, before.

"How are you enjoying yourself, over there, Weiss?" she asked her new girlfriend, finally breaking the silence. Weiss didn't say anything, but turned around with stars in her eyes, which was the same look Ruby normally had when she spotted a new weapon.

"It's amazing, Blake! An entire civilization with technology completely independent of Dust. They've explored space with manned rockets, sent probes to beyond our solar system, found ingenious new ways to build and construct cities and materials! These Americans could change the world!" she said, excitedly, suddenly at Blake's side, much to the Faunus' shock and confusion. She never knew Weiss could move so fast, but then again, she's never seen her this excited over something, before.

"That's… great. I'm glad you like it" she said, trying to keep the unease in her voice hidden, not wanting to upset her. Weiss stood up and calmed herself down, returning the more professional attitude Blake is used to.

"Of course, I won't be able to share these ideas, right away. I won't bore you with the number of reasons why, but I will say this: once this tech becomes commonplace, my father's empire will crumble since Dust is all the company sells, and with Dust, the Schnee Dust Company cannot function" Weiss explained.

"The fact they are unreliant on Dust also means he can't set up Dust shops in America, either" Blake added in.

"That is true, but Dust is still usable, to an extent. From what I've read so far, America predates the Grimm, themselves, so they had no need for Huntsmen or the transforming weapons we have today. But, we're obviously still needed, so we Huntsmen will likely still use Dust unless they found ways to replicate its properties" Weiss said. Blake looked at her impressed.

"You may hate your father, but he sure did teach you way in the ways of business," she commented.

"Indeed. She certainly has a good sense for business" General Duren said, entering the room.

"Ah, General. What brings you here?" Weiss asked, respectfully. Since her sister, Winter, was a Specialist, she knows plenty of how the military works and, while she's certain America has different practices, a few rules seem to be universal.

"Just thought I'd give you some updates on the White Fang, good news for the most part. Our operatives in Vacuo had reported that they just took out the last stronghold in the kingdom and liberated a group of civilian Faunus" Duren explained. Blake stood up, putting her book away, looking confused.

"Why would they kidnap Faunus, let alone ones with no combat experience?" she asked. Duren's expression darkened.

"To force them to fight for their cause under the threat of death" she answered simply. Horror and shock filled Blake. The White Faunus were forcing innocents to fight? Were they truly that far gone, now? Weiss saw the haunted look in her eyes and immediately comforted her.

"H-how?... How do you sound so sure that's it?" she asked, almost whispering.

"Because we've seen this happened before. The worst part is that most terrorist groups we fought did it, thinking it was for a noble cause. There were times they forced children to fight and even rigged babies to explode" Duren explained, a look of sadness on her face. Weiss ignored her in favor of Blake, who was on the verge of crying.

"What could they hope to gain with such unethical methods? How could they possibly think this will benefit Faunus?" Weiss questioned.

"It's been said that every villain is the hero in their mind… to them, there is nothing to low for them, because they've deluded themselves into thinking what they're doing is noble and just, but it ends up creating the most diabolical of villains" Duren said with a heavy sigh.

"The ends justify the means… The White Fang has fallen as far as to embrace that philosophy" Blake said in a broken voice, the whole revelation shattering whatever faith she had left in the organization her father had founded, so long ago.

"I'm sorry I had to reveal such horrible things to you, but you both deserve to know the full truth. You both have been affected by the Fang, in some shape or form" Duren stated.

"And that's why I became a Huntress. To undo the hatred and pain they've caused and, now, I have a chance to set things right" Blake said, confidence returning to her voice. Weiss smiled, knowing Blake would be too stubborn to stay down for long.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Blake, for you and Weiss can help instead of staying cooped up, here" Duren said, smiling.

"Are you saying, you want us to help you out in the field?" Weiss asked in realization.

"That's right. While your partners handle helping Faunus and feeding us information, you two can help out by taking the fight to the Fang. With Vacuo all but cleared up, we can focus our efforts more on Vale, which we believe to be the most dangerous for one reason" Duren explained.

"Adam" Blake growled out, immediately putting it together. Adam Taurus was one of the Fang's most skilled fighters and leads the Vale branch of the organization. Defeating him will not be an easy task, due in part his immense skill, talent as a warrior, and sheer ferocity. Normally, she'd be terrified of the idea of facing him, but now, she's stronger, braver, and smarter than before. And she has people who would cheer her on and help her when the time came.

"Indeed. He's listed as a Priority: 1 target, our highest rating for such things. And with good reason. We've tried to take him down or out three times and he beat back all three of them" Duren said, sounding frustrated.

"He's powerful, yes, but he's unstable, prone to lashing out when things don't go his way. It will cost dearly, some day" Blake said, confidently. She knew her old partner well and was well aware of his biggest flaws and weaknesses. General Duren hummed in thought.

"Well, if you're going to help, you'll be needing some new gear and upgrades" she said with a smile, sending some excitement through the girls.

* * *

The whole process for the upgrades took a couple of hours, since the engineers basically needed to to take apart and rebuild Blake's weapon while also having to forge Weiss a new one, since ehrs was never recovered from the cave in. Such upgrades included reinforcing Gambol Shroud's blade with military grade modern titanium with special High Frequency technology that greatly enhanced its cutting power, but required the balde to be made longer than it was originally. The Dust bullet-fed chamber was replaced with the standard energy based technology, as well, with the maximum number of rounds available for pistols. It also had a built-in silencer and was still able to convert into sickle mode, as per Blake's request. The sheath was remade into a more traditional shape for a katan, but had the same blade and HF tech built in since Blake sometimes used the sheath in combat. As such, a handle was incorporated in.

Since Weiss was getting an entirely new weapon, she was deeply involved in the planning process. She wanted it similar to Myrtenaster, as it complimented her skillset very well. As such, it still had a Dust chamber built in, but the techs were able expand the chamber from six slots to eight and even had in a second chamber, which required making them half the size of the original Myrtenaster, but Weiss assured that despite the smaller size, her Dust capacity would remain the same as before. They went for a more basket hilt-style hand guard that reached all the way to the pommel, granting her hand more protection. For more ranged offense, an energy gun was added, with about 10 or so rounds before needing reloading. HF tech was also added in.

In short, the WB duo now had a pair of devastating weapons made from state-of-the-art, military grade, American technology and they were eager to test them out. But, they had to be given a few other things, such as the gene enhancers and nanobots, which would greatly enhance their physical abilities beyond what they're already capable. Combine that with their Aura, they were even deadlier fighters. Also, as another bonus, it dramatically increased their lifespan to around 5 times that of normal. The girls were shocked by advanced these Americans were. Eve Atlas doesn't have these sorts of things, but then again, America didn't have the Grimm constantly trying to destroy them, so they focus on other things than survival. Too bad Ruby and Yang weren't here to get the same treatment.

The last part was their new outfits. Blake decided to add some extra protection incase her Aura was unreliable, so she opted to wear a black sleeveless, catsuit made of several layers of lightweight, yet extremely durable materials with built in heeled boots and knee pads. For style, she wore a new coat very similar to her old one, but with some noticeable differences, such has having differently shaped tails, a large amount of black, and a built-in magnetic plate in the lower back for her weapon. She also now wore a belt for her new ammo and charger for spent clips. Glad to know she doesn't have to worry about ammo ever again. Her left forearm had a device that allowed to access the military's database to either contact personnel, her teammates, or information that may prove useful. She thought about cutting her hair shorter, but decided against it, since it seemed to suit her better.

Weiss forgoed the extra armor, since she felt it wouldn't offer much for, anyway, since she already has plenty of defensive options. Instead, she took some inspiration from Winter's military uniform. She now sported a white ruffled dress to her knees with a white cropped coat not unlike the one she wore when firsting to beacon, but with a pair of epaulette with the strings reaching to her elbows and the lower halves of the sleeves were dark blue. The coat was zipped closed and came closer to her waist. She switched out her heels for a pair of armored knee-length heeled greaves. A similar ammo belt is around her waist and she now keeps her hair up with Blake's old hairbow.

"I can't believe I didn't switch to this look, earlier. I look good in a uniform" Weiss mused, checking herself out in the mirror while Blake examined her newly upgraded weapon, amazed that it weighed as it did before the upgrades, despite being so vastly different, now. She can't wait to see what it can do.

"Such sophisticated technology… It's a bit surprisingly they don't think they could win against the Kingdoms" Blake said.

"They're likely thinking of the long term and worst case scenario. A war will be costly, even for such a prosperous nation, and they may be facing all four Kingdoms, at once, and that includes Huntsmen. That may be enough to overwhelm them through sheer numbers" Weiss deduced, glancing at Blake.

"I know, but…" the Faunus trailed off, not sure how to counter Weiss's solid argument. The former heiress saw this and immediately took her hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"What's wrong?" she asked her, gently.

"Weiss… there is a nation in the world that views Faunus as equals without strings attached and they have the power to change the world for the betterment of everyone, Human and Faunus. Do you know how long I've dreamt of such a plan, fully convinced that it would never happen? We put everything we care about on the line by siding with them. What if, in the end, it was all for nothing?" she questioned, looking scared.

"You just need to have faith that things will work out, Blake. These people obviously know what they're doing and I doubt they'll be beaten" Weiss said, pressing her forehead against Blake's. The two didn't say anything, but merely enjoyed each other's loving presence. The moment was eventually ended by a knock. Both turned to see General Duren standing there with a slight smile.

"Sorry to interrupt your moment, lovebirds, but we need you out in the field, immediately. I'll explain everything when you arrive at the location" she said in a business-like tone. The two nodded at each and grabbed their new weapons.

* * *

Ruby was honestly wasn't sure what concerned her more: the sheer amount of hostility she's receiving or the fact she doesn't get upset by this. As per General Duren's roder, she was surveying all the local hangouts for Faunus and was immediately met with insult after insult, which was to be expected. These Faunus likely never met a friendly Human, before, but they were even nastier than she thought. She just ignored them, but tried to keep her surveying discreet as she was sure it was cause a whole lot of unnecessary problems if they saw her writing things down. Still, would it kill them to just ignore her? So, she pulled up her hood and started traveling with more stealth, recalling on what she learned from Blake.

So, here she was, running across rooftops like some vigilante, to avoid more hostile encounters, while Yang was off asking around about any White Fang activity. She thought of switching places, next time, but Yang's got more respect with the underground than she did, so that be a major dead end and likely end with her kidnapped or worse. She stopped when she came close to the docks, feeling she has everything mapped. With a smile, she climbed down back onto the streets and used her Semblance to race through the streets. In just a fraction of the time it would take to walk, she arrived at the Bullhead station, where Yang was waiting, but she made the of not stopping and ended up caught in her sister's awaiting arms and got subjected to one of her infamous bear hugs.

"Glad you made it back, alright, sis! How was your survey?" she asked Ruby, not caring that the scythe-wielder was struggling to get out of her grasp.

"Fine, Yang! Now, please… let me go!" Ruby said, struggling against the unbreakable girders Yang calls arms.

"No, I haven't hugged you in a week. I need this" Yang simply, hugging even harder, much to Ruby's horror. She could already feel her ribs beginning to crack under the pressure. Why was Yang blessed with such enormous strength?

"Yang…. Please! ACK! My ribs!" she shouted in pain. Thankfully, she finally let go and Ruby just laid on the floor, gasping for air and clutching her aching sides. She glared at Yang.

"Yang, you know I hate it when you do that," she said.

"Don't care" Yang said with that trolling grin she always wore. Ruby growled and stood up. She dusted herself off.

"So, any Fang activity?" she asked.

"That's the thing. There was none. As far as Junior knows, they just went quiet, which worries him. I can understand why. If the White Fang goes quiet, than they have something big planned" Yang explained.

"Beacon has a massive number of elite Huntsmen and we have our special friends. So, I'm sure we can handle whatever they have cooked up" Ruby said, confidently. Suddenly, her stomach growled, making her blush in embarrassment.

"Sounds like it's time to eat. Thankfully, its lunch time, so let's head to the cafeteria!" Yang said and the sisters happily boarded the bullhead and headed back to Beacon. A few minutes later, a concerned Glynda emerged from the shadows, deep in thought. She overheard their conversation and it had her worried. Why was Ruby doing a survey and what was it for? Why was Yang visiting that info broker, again? And what were these "special friends" Ruby mentioned? So many questions and not enough answers.

"Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long, what are you both hiding" she whispered, mostly to herself.

* * *

 **After some discussion with an online friend, I'm making the Faunus more visually distinct from Humans.**


	9. Chapter 8

Menagerie, a desert island off the shores of Mistral. For generations, it's been the one safe haven for Faunus who desired freedom and a place to call home. Despite how easy to conquer the island is, the Humans didn't see it as a worthwhile effort on their part and let the Faunus have it, no strings attached. Apart from most of it being desert and filled with vicious Grimm. Life was hard here. Very hard. But, things have been improving lately. Grimm sightings have been becoming less frequent and expeditions into the desert yielded promising results, such as newly discovered Dust veins, scare vegetation, and even sources of precious water. Heck, someone's even dropping off supplies at regular intervals in the form of massive building-sized crates filled with food, medical supplies, and unknown tech that didn't require Dust to power. It seems someone has taken pity on the Faunus and decided to help out. While these supply drops didn't solve everything, at once, it was certainly a welcome aid. The notes left as well seem to imply that it was Humans who were helping them, which has called the White Fang's ideology into question. And those questions are becoming more and more vocal with each drop.

Speaking of the White Fang, these new developments have caused radical changes in the pro-Faunus group. While they still fought for Faunus equality, the High leader Sienna Khan decided to focus more on securing Menagerie and took a few notes out of her predecessor's, Ghira Belladonna, book and took more non-violent approaches to the matter of equality, mainly because several reports noted that the Humans were becoming more intolerant of Faunus in the form of labeling them "White Fang sympathizers" and the constant attacks on White Fang outposts by the mysterious assailants-who are likely the same people handling the supply drops. A more violent person, like Adam, would've simply met their increased force by increasing their own force, but Sienna wasn't stupid. She knew why they were targeting them and it disgusted her that took her more aggressive policies too such extremes. She wanted to make sure Humanity knew the Faunus would push back, but now it seems they're the ones doing the pushing, now.

When she announced these changes, the public went crazy in approval, having grown tired of the constant threat of violence the White Fang has all but been inviting. The Vale, Vacuo, and Atlas branches of the White Fang, however, denounced Sienna, claiming she's gone soft and broke away. Sienna wasn't surprised in the least, as she was certain the mystery attackers will handle them in time, but kept her eyes and ears open on their activities and ensured anyone affiliated with these defectors wouldn't infiltrate her headquarters to have her assassinated or something along those lines. She also worked with Ghira and his wife, Kali, to set up guards to protect the supply drops and transports incase the radicals tried to steal them.

Which is how Ilia ended up here. Despite being, technically, a White Fang member-an infiltrator at that-she was assigned to help the Menagerie guards escort the latest supply drop back to Kuo Kuana, safely. While rather dull, it's still more action than she was previously seeing lately. Ever since Sienna's reforms, she's been having a lot more down time and any missions she received were for infiltrating radical cells. Still, this allowed her to collect her thoughts. Originally, she did support the extreme measures some cells, sucha s Adam's faction, were using, her rage increased by the death of her parents in Dust mine accident all those years ago. She really thought it was the best course of action. Then, these attacks started cropping up. At first, they were a minor nuisance, at best, but they grew in scale and frequency until most of the Vacuo bases were either a pile of rubble or beyond paranoid. Next was Blake's defection, which sting Ilia greatly. Blake was her best friend and the love of her life, though the cat Faunus never knew that part. Her sudden departure wasn't something she liked to remember, but understood she should've seen it coming. Blake had been growing increasingly dissatisfied with the direction the Fang was going. That and Adam's increasing instability-she never liked the guy. He was a jerk to everyone except Blake. To have heard she just up and left was one of the saddest days for her.

Her departure had other affects. Since she was Ghira's daughter, she had a lot more sway over the Fang than likely even she realized. After, they must be doing something right if a Belladonna sided with them. When she left, it caused many members to question their cause, but stayed, believing they were in too deep or were too scared of retribution from the higher ups. Then they all saw the Vital Festival with none other than Blake, herself, participating in it, much to everyone's shock and Ilia's secret amazement. Sure, she was hiding her heritage behind a bow, but she was still training to be a Huntress at Beacon. And alongside a freaking Schnee, of all people. Ilia never saw that particular one, but the snow white hair, pale complexion, and the distinctive crest on her clothing told the world who she was. Reactions were surprisingly mixed. Some felt this marked a change in Human-Faunus relations while others called for Blake's head, deeming her a traitor to her entire species. Ilia was on the fence on the whole thing… Until she heard of the Vacuo cell forcing civilians to fight, which boiled her blood so much, it's surprising it didn't evaporate.

She also felt ashamed of how close came to falling into that same mindset and now understood exactly why Blake left. She saw the same thing happening and wasn't going to be a part of it. Boy was she was glad she was part of the Menagerie branch, so she stayed quite far away from the horrors those extremists were taking part in. And they said Humans were evil ones. Guess hate and spite are universal traits, not just a Human thing. If only Faunus could become Huntsmen, she could've use the political clout the job would give her to further relations, but Faunus are essentially only allowed to become servants to the wealthy elite or Dust miners; every other job is Human only and if any Faunus tried to apply, they'd get shot dead. Sure, Ilia's color-changing skin made it easier for her to blend in with Humans, after her parents' death, she lost interest in that. That, and her skin reacts to her emotions, so one outburst is all it'll take to out her as a Faunus. So, she is impressed Blake managed to pull it off and for so long, too.

She should really try and get back in contact with Blake, sometime soon. It be nice to call her a friend, again. The transport she was on hit a bump, causing it to lurch, snapping her out of her thoughts as she gripped the rails. The seemingly endless expanse of desert seemed so quiet, now. Whoever or whatever was clearing out the Grimm sure knew how to do their job. She could likely be forgiven for believing Grimm are now extinct on Menagerie with how scarce they are. Bandits weren't all that common, either, but despite the apparent peace, one should never let their guard down. There's no telling what lurks in the shadows, waiting to strike. Thankfully, they returned to Kuo Kuana without any incidents and Ilia left to give her report to the Albain brothers, who were waiting in their usual place.

"Ah, Ilia, welcome back. I trust the latest supply drop went well" Fennec said as he and his brother glanced at her. Everytime she met them, Ilia always felt uneasy. There was a certain ambition in their eyes that didn't sit well with her, but never let it show.

"Yes, it was. No hostiles were encountered" Ilia replied, curtly, putting a bit more effort into maintaining her cool. Her skin will react to her mood if she lets it and showing how she really feels around these two is a bad idea, her instincts were telling her.

"Excellent. Our mysterious benefactors never fail to disappoint" Fennec said, sounding pelased, but doesn't look it in his eyes.

"And yet still remain completely shrouded in mystery. They could teach quite a lot if we ever find a way to contact them, directly" Corsac said, finally speaking up.

"True, brother, but that is a matter for the future. What is important that Menagerie, and the Faunus, are in a much stronger position than ever before. We are fortunate the Humans choose to overlook us to attend to their own matters" Fennec said, sending a shiver down Ilia's spine and nearly causing her skin to turn icy blue.

"Is that all you wish to speak to me?" she asked, respectfully.

"No. Sienna Khan had contacted us, earlier today. She wishes to speak to you in private" Corsac replied, surprising Ilia.

"Did she say why?" she asked.

"No, she was quite adamant only you would be aware of what she desires to discuss… She has become quite secretive as of late" Fennec said.

"I'm sure she has her reasons" Ilia said, simply. Even if she didn't like these two, they were still high ranking members of the White Fang, so mouthing off to them about how she feels they've also been secretive would land her nothing but trouble.

"Be that as it may, we shall leave the room to allow you to speak to her privately. Contact us should require any asisstence" Fennec stated and the brothers left the room. AFter giving them a brief glance, she approached the monitor they used to contact the White Fang HQ and turned it on. The familiar face of Sienna Khan appeared on the monitor after a few minutes.

" _Ah, Ilia! Glad to see you've finally arrived_ " she said, gratefully.

"You wanted to speak to me, ma'am?" Ilia asked. Sienna immediately became serious.

" _Yes, and it is an important and personal matter. As you know, due to our changes in policy, our cells in Vale, Atlas, and Vacuo had splintered from us, denouncing us and attempting to pursue our original agenda their way. Now, that isn't news, but something has been brought to my attention: the Vacuo cell has been completely eradicated, as of three days ago_ " Sienna explained. The last bit caught Ilia off guard. The Vacuo White Fang was as stubborn and hard to get rid of as the kingdom itself is. So, the fact it was now no more was an impressive feat. Once again, the mystery assailants continue to impress.

" _This brings a number of things, both good and bad. The most important aspect is how the two remaining cells will react. Atlas will still relatively safe, due to most of its members being unknown, even to them. Vale, however, is likely their next target and they will become more dangerous. That has me concerned_ " Sienna continued.

"Wasn't Adam the leader of Vale's White Fang?" Ilia asked, worrying about Blake's safety.

" _Yes, and he still is. And with Blake Belladonna also in Vale, I've been paying special close attention to him. Fortunately, he has made no moves, but a new development has come to light. Blake and the young Schnee have been reported MIA_ " Sienna stated. Ilia could barely keep back her horror at hearing that her closest friend and secret flame may be dead.

" _Do not fret. No bodies have been recovered, so there is a chance that they may still be alive. But, that is not important now, I'm sad to say. Adam has surely heard the news of the Vacuo cell's defeat and may try something. That is where you come in_ " Sienna said, catching Ilia's attention.

"What can I do?" she asked the Tiger Faunus.

" _Ilia, behind Blake, you are one of our finest infiltrators. No in part due to your natural camouflage abilities. I need those talents, now, as I need to infiltrate the headquarters of the Vale White Fang and find out whatever plans they may have_ " Sienna said. Some sweat started to form on Ilia's brow. Adam knows who she is and will instantly realize why she's there, so how in Remnant will she pull this off?

" _I know I'm asking a great risk of you, but you're one of the few people I can trust with this mission. You are allowed to approach the mission however you see fit, as I'm aware you and Adam are familiar with each other. However, I must ask that you abstain from contacting me until you feel it is absolutely necessary_ " Sienna said with a measure of understanding in her voice. Ilia remained quiet, thinking this over. This is likely the biggest risk she's ever taken. If Adam gets his hands on her, he'll have her executed either as payback to Blake or to serve as an example to those who defy his White Fang's goals. Essentially, it's suicide mission. But, if he's allowed to roam free, he would cause massive damage and make things even worse for the Faunus. They're already on the verge of being put back in shackles and cages, as it is. Adam's actions just incentivize Humanity to finally do it. They'll strip Faunus of their freedom without hesitation. And he would almost certainly harm Blake the first chance he gets. She can't let either of those things happen.

With steely resolve, she looked a waiting Sienna in the eye.

"When do I leave?"

* * *

 **Surprised to see another chapter up so quickly? So am I. I simply got a burst of inspiration, this time around. Things are starting to get interesting, now.**

 **Also, some things I should have clarified earlier, but there are some more changes I've made to RWBY:**

 **1) Faunus are prevented from getting any jobs outside of indentured servitude(*cough*slavery*cough*) and Dust mines. If they try to get anything else, they're executed. Especially if they try to become a Huntsman. This isn't so in canon, but simply my interpretation.**

 **2) A Faunus' trait is more pronounced. Their senses, physical abilities, and other similar attributes are just as good as the animal who they share a trait with. This is to help differentiate Faunus from Humans.**

 **3) Faunus only have one pair of ears. So, Blake doesn't have a pair of Human ears, so she had to be even more careful with hiding her heritage.**

 **4) Remnant's population is greater than it is in the show and the kingdoms' territories are larger. This due to the fact the Grimm were as effective as they were likely due to being commanded by Salem, who often used her non-Grimm followers to undermine the kingdoms from within, allowing her main forces to bulldoze right in. However, without her pulling the strings, the Grimm, while still a threat, are more wild and uncoordinated, making them easier to beat in the modern day.**

 **5) There are no Relics. This is taking place in a slightly more realistic setting, so pure magical objects are removed.**

 **Also, if you're wondering how advanced America is. Think double what the UNSC was during the most recent Halo game mixed in with Overwatch in certain areas. So, they can easily be classed as a spaceflight species and can begin travelling into space. They're just focusing on their planet, first.**

 **If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.**


	10. Chapter 9

**World of Remnant: Human-Faunus relations**

 _To say Humans and Faunus don't get along would be a massive understatement. The two races had been at odds with one another from day one. No one knows for sure which side started it, but some like to argue Humanity was the instigator, since it's natural for them to fear what they don't understand. Just don't go telling people that unless you consider being called a Faunus sympathizer as a compliment. There have been some major changes over the years, especially recently._

 _The biggest was the Faunus Rights Revolution, where the Faunus went to war to try and earn their place alongside Humans. It didn't work, despite the Faunus putting up a valiant fight. If anything, it made their situation even worse. Pretty much everywhere except the Kingdom of Vale consider Faunus as savage animals and to be slaves. Vale doesn't have those thoughts, but they're still treated as second-class citizens. They were also banned from almost all forms of employment. Only working as a servant to the wealthy elite or working the Dust Mines were open to Faunus, even if the employers treat them like garbage. Actually, worse than garbage, because at least it gets thrown out._

 _They can't even be Huntsmen, which was a really stinger. They were going to allow them, but a bunch of Faunus tried to assassinate everyone and used it as an excuse to kick them out. Due this most Faunus are unemployed and homeless. They were given their own island, but it had a lot of silver linings attached, sadly._

 _Some years later, Ghira Belladonna founded a group called the White Fang to promote equality through peaceful protests, but was always met with hostility and even outright violence by law enforcement. He was eventually forced to step down and Sienna Khan took over. Her more aggressive policies didn't help much except make things even worse, as all four Kingdoms are thinking of outright enslaving the Faunus. Yeah, it sucks to be a Faunus._

 _Thankfully, there are people out there working to change that. Whether they know it or not_

* * *

 **Here it is, my first "World of Remnant" chapter. Not very long, but I'm okay with it. And I have a few questions to answer from some reviewers:**

 **MythianTechCorp: Yes, they do have the ability to build space stations, both observation and military, and I might include one of each, since that would be a huge advantage to have against an enemy.**

 **ThatGuyYouMet: #1: Yes, Team RWBY and CFVY may work for them, JNPR won't for the most part. They'll be part of that "friends on different sides" trope that's often used. After all, as far as the kingdoms are concerned, Team RWBY is a group of traitors and criminals for not only knowingly harboring a Faunus, but also defecting to an unknown enemy. So, no, they aren't going to hop on the "America wagon" like RWBY did. Also, in this timeline, JNPR doesn't know Blake is a Faunus.**

 **#2: Yes, other teams and Huntsmen do work with America in secret, to varying degrees.**

 **#3: I like the idea of America having a holiday based around remembering the nations of the past. After all, America is a cultural and ethical melting pot due to starting out a colony of the British Empire. So, the idea isn't too far fetched, especially if anyone descended from different nations partakes in their cultural heritage. Also, as a neat little trick, America had also incorporated different apsects of various countries into its society and government. So, any suggestions on that part would help, everyone!**

 **#4: We already discussed that one private.**

 **Also, Guy, you didn't need to send me both a PM and a Review with the exact same message. Seemed a little redundant.**


	11. Chapter 10

Yang sighed, relaxing in her bed after another day of training. She was by herself, as Ruby went off to drop off all the info they gathered to Coco in Vale. This didn't bother her, but she was bored, since she had nothing better to do than just lay there and be pretty. So, against her better judgement, she headed down to the library. While she isn't a stereotypical dumb blonde she appears to be, she wasn't a nerd either. There was only so many books she's willing to read. And most of them were those smutty novels Blake likes to read and vowed to never show to Ruby. However, she was so lost in thought, she didn't notice the presence right behind.

"Surprised to see you here, Miss Xiao Long" Glynda said, startling Yang. The professor didn't change her calm expression at the reaction and waited for the younger blonde to relax from the scare.

"Glynda, you scared me," Yang said, getting her breathing under control.

"I do apologize for that. But, I have been meaning to speak with you when you were available. Is it alright?" Glynda asked, doing her best to keep any suspicious underlines out of her tone to not worry the young Huntress. Yang did look confused, but not worried. Not yet, anyway.

"Sure, what's up?" Yang asked.

"I have noticed you and your sister have been spending larger amounts of your free time in the city, as of late. Now, normally, this wouldn't be of any relevance. Students are allowed to travel to Vale when they have nothing important to attend. But, you're increasing number of trips has me... curious. That, and the amount of time you spend in the city before returning. Care to explain this?" Glynda asked, fixing a minor glare at the Xiao Long. Yang remained calm, but she internally sweating. She knew someone would get suspicious, eventually, and Glynda was one of the candidates Yang knew would be the first to start asking questions. Glynda wasn't Ozpin's right hand woman for being stupid, after all. Sometimes, she wonders why the Deputy Headmistress hasn't considered moonlighting as a detective.

"Nothing much, just stocking up on extra ammo and anything else that might help out. Team RWBY is understaffed with our partners MIA and all, so we really need to compensate" Yang explained.

"Understandable, Miss Xiao Long, and I am glad you are handling the situation maturely. Still, the frequency of said trips is more than what would be required for such a task" Glynda countered, pushing Yang further into proverbial corner.

"Yeah, that's Ruby's fault. She tends to get a bit over energized more than once during the day. We head out to Vale so she can burn off the energy without accidentally running someone over on campus. I go along to carry her back in case she tires herself out" she lied, hopefully sounding convincing. Glynda raises an eyebrow.

"And how come you haven't accompanied her, this time?" she asked, cooly.

"Ah, she said it would be a simple run down to a cafe and back, so I didn't think she needed me with her, this time" Yang replied.

"I see… thank you, Miss Xiao Long. You may leave now" Glynda said. Yang fast walked out of the library, needing to tell Ruby about this now. Glynda watched on with mild disappointment. She could tell she was lying and it was saddening she was doing so. But, why were she and Ruby being so secretive? Just what were they trying to hide? Perhaps she could keep an eye on Ruby's activities more, though. Yang's bound to be more on guard from now on and Ruby seems to be spearheading this thing. But, Ruby's Semblance and surprisingly perceptual skills would make that difficult. The moment she felt she was in danger, she can easily speed off and be long gone by the time they realized it. She would need to be discreet about it and employ someone Ruby trusted enough to lower her guard around. Which gave her an idea as she reached for Scroll and put forward a call.

"Would you please have Jaune Arc meet me in the arena, please. I have something I wish to discuss with him, in private"

* * *

Today was not looking to be a good day for Ruby. Sure, everything was going okay, but she just received a call from Yang about how Glynda had just questioned her in the hallway, which was worrying. They must be catching on or at least realize there is more to the story between the sisters. She'll need to limit the trips into the city, after this, to throw off the heat. She'll also need to talk to General Duren about this, as well. Thankfully, that will be soon as she managed to find the Crow Bar and was already looking for Coco.

Spotting her wasn't difficult, as she was decked out in expensive clothing, with a beret and a pair of sunglasses that gave her an aura of confidence and "coolness" as Yang would put it. Coco instantly spots Ruby and ushers her over. The bar being small, it didn't take long for Ruby to take a seat next to the secret American.

"So, you're Ruby Rose. Not as intimidating as I was expecting" she said, lowering her glasses enough for her to see her dark brown eyes scan her analytically.

"Most people say that, until I beat them in combat before they can blink" Ruby said confidently. Ruby had really been pushing the limits of her Semblance and can use it more easily in combat, making her nearly impossible to touch without a sound strategy or speed Semblance of your own. Coco smiled.

"I like you, but my wife would kill me if I cheated on her and we're here on professional business" Coco said, casually. Ruby now noticed the ring on her right finger. Looks like America has similar wedding traditions to Vale. Ruby wordlessly handed the completed survey to Coco as discreetly as she could. Coco easily took it without issue.

"Hey, Coco, can I ask you something?" Ruby asked. This got Coco's attention.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's the teachers at Beacon. Well, the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress. I think they're starting to catch on. Just today, Glynda actually questioned Yang about why we head into Vale so often. I don't know what to do. Stealth isn't my strong suit" Ruby sighed. Coco hummed.

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much. You might give yourself away if you do. Also, you have completed your main task, so you can easily hold off on the trips long enough to let their suspicions die down. Still, I'd keep your ears and Scroll handy, incase you need to bail. Understand?" Coco said. Ruby nodded gratefully and stood up.

"Well, I better head back before the sun sets. See you around" she said and began making her way back to Beacon a little on the faster side, but not yet activating her Semblance. However in her hurry, she accidentally bumped into something and both fell onto their butts. She scrambled to help them up but stopped dead in her tracks when she got a good look at who it was. It was the most beautiful girl she's ever met. Her dark brown hair in a ponytail, her tanned spotted skin, and light grey bluish eyes were all perfect. Even the outfit she was wearing was perfect, especially with it showing some of her stomach.

Ruby knew that she was lesbian since she was old enough to understand love, mainly due to the fact she never got distracted by any boys, but often felt interested in girls. She likely would've came to a more solid conclusion of that sooner had she hadn't been so weapon obsessed. But, she better help her to her feet.

"Sorry about that. I was in a hurry" she did her best to ignore the jolt she felt surge through her when her hand clasped the mystery girl's as she hoisted her to her feet with little effort.

"It's alright, I wasn't paying attention, either. I'm new around here" the girl said, somewhat shyly. Ruby smiled, hoping to ease this girl's nervousness.

"Oh, you're new to Vale? Well, welcome. I'm Ruby Rose. What's your name?" she asked.

"Ilia... "

* * *

Jaune felt an array of emotions as he returned to his dorm room after his private talk with Glynda. All directed at Team RWBY. Worry about just what they've gotten themselves into this time. Confusion as to why they lied to Ozpin and Glynda. Anger at Ruby and Yang for keeping secrets from him. Betrayal that his best friend didn't trust him enough with whatever what was going on. He knew Team RWBY had a few skeletons in the closet and that they weren't ever going to share them with even JNPR, but Ruby had assured them she would let him in on any "special missions" they go on, which usually meant to going behind Beacon's back to handle some shady group or fight off dangerous Grimm on their own. How they always got away with it is beyond him.

"Jaune, are you alright?" Jaune snapped out of his thoughts to see Pyrrha staring at him with concern. Only now has he noticed he was back in his team's dorm and they were all staring at him. He sighed to calm his nerves.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Pyrrha. I just had a lot of my mind, that's all" he replied.

"Would it be related to what Glynda wanted to talk to you about?" Ren asked, knowingly.

"Yeah, it involves Team RWBY" Jaune said.

"Oh, what kind of mess did they cause, this time?" Pyrrha asked with an amused smile. Jaune wished it was just that.

"Guys, listen. Ruby and Yang are hiding something from everyone. Yang even lied to Glynda, today" Jaune explained, catching their attention.

"What?! That's silly! What would they hide from us?" Nora said, a little shocked but hiding it behind her usual cheery demeanor.

"I don't know, Nora, but I really want to know why" Jaune replied, determined.

* * *

Ilia waved goodbye to Ruby as she boarded the bullhead back to Beacon, thoroughly pleased. She was very nervous about coming Vale, but kept reminding herself she was doing this for Blake and soldiered on. The fact Sienna ahd arrive by airship did shock her, since she didn't think Menagerie had any airships. Due to Vale being much larger than any city on Menagerie, she was easily overwhelmed and confused when she bumped into Ruby. She immediately recognized her from the Vytal Festival as the leader of Blake's team, but didn't say anything. She didn't know if this girl knew of Blake's secret or even approve of Faunus equality, at the moment.

Still, it was nice talking to her and they kept on talking until they reached the station, where they had to depart. While she was glad to have met Ruby, she has more important things to handle at the moment. She has a White Fang base to infiltrate. Thankfully, they still knew its location, assuming Adam has moved them.

* * *

"Hello, General Duren?"

"Ah, you must be-"

"Yes, ma'am. President Romanoff sends her regards"

"Excellent. Now, for the time being, you should get familiar, but also remain ready should you need to be called into the field to help"

"Understood, General. And don't worry. I'm combat ready!"

* * *

 **Another relatively short one, but still has a lot for you to look forward. The last part especially, as I'm certain most RWBY fans will recognize that phrase.**


	12. Chapter 11

The uncharted forests of Vale were calm and quiet save for the occasional chirping of birds and growl of the local Grimm. However, hidden deep within was the base of the Vale Branch of the White Fang, hidden among the foliage to avoid detection. You could be ten feet from it and still not realize it's there if you don't know what to look for. Fortunately for Ilia, she knew exactly what to look for. Using a pair of high power binoculars, she surveyed the base while staying a safe distance away, preventing them from seeing her. So, it looks like they didn't change locations, likely thinking no one would be stupid enough to try looking for them in such a remote area. Still, getting in won't be easy, since they've likely changed the security codes when they split off.

But, it seemed rather quiet, right now. So, all she can do right now is wait for something to happen that she can use to her advantage. She didn't have to wait long as an unfamiliar and oddly shaped bullhead appeared and landed behind some trees before flying off again. How it got so close without being detected was beyond her, but she banished those thoughts when she spotted two figures emerge from where the transport landed. She peered through her binoculars and had to do a double take.

It was Blake! She was wearing a different outfit and had her hair in some sort of elaborate bun, but she'd recognize those gold eyes anywhere. And it looks like the Schnee-her name escapes her-is with her, also dressed differently. Of all the lucky breaks! But, why in the name of the Brothers are they here? Surely Blake recognizes the location. Are they here to bring it down? No matter, even if she's a skilled Huntress, Ilia refuses to let Blake handle this with just a two-person team. So, she throws her previous plan out the metaphorical window and races off to the facility.

* * *

The WB duo silently entered the facility, their weapons at their ready. The place was dark and the lights were out, but Blake's natural night vision rendered that moot, so she was on point with Weiss close behind her. However, she was suspicious about the lack of guards. She knew someone as paranoid as Adam wouldn't leave the main entrance unguarded without a good reason, such as setting a trap for her. Blake shuddered, but didn't let it show. Adam and any other high ranking members with him are the real threat, not the simple foot soldiers who have little training beyond how to swing a sword and use their Aura.

The trek through the halls was quiet and eerie, causing Weiss to grip Blake's free hand for comfort and security. Blake squeezed it gently to reassure her and the entire gesture filled Blake with a desire to protect Weiss from the entire world. With Adam at the top of that list. If that abusive hypocrite comes anywhere near Weiss, she'll tear him to shreds without an ounce of guilt.

The duo came across a large circular room that was empty, but appeared to be used for large meetings or training the troops. When they got to the center, Blake paused, dread filling her instantly. Something wasn't right. She could feel it.

"Welcome back, traitor" both snapped upwards to the balcony behind them and, standing there, was none other than Adam Taurus, smiling smugly at the two, but the anger and rage can be seen through his tense muscles.

"Adam" Blake hissed, every fiber of her being condemning the bull Faunus for all that he's done. Suddenly, all of the doors opened and White Fang grunts came surging out and surrounded the two, all of them aiming their weapons at them.

"You certainly took your sweet time, Blake. I almost was beginning to think you would never show" Adam said, still sounding smug.

"He knew we'd come" Weiss growled out, annoyed that they fell for such an obvious trap.

"And you dare fraternize with a Schnee, our hated enemy. The same family that shackles us" Adam said through seething rage. Weiss scoffed.

"Oh, as if you are innocent, yourself, Taurus. Attacking convoys, raiding defenseless villages, and attacking civilians, both Human and Faunus. If anyone deserves to be locked in a cage, it's you" she said with as much venom as she could muster. Adam glared at the Schnee.

"You think you're better than me because you're Human?" he spat.

"No, I'm better than you because I don't blind myself to what horrible things my family has done" she said, that familiar sense of pride coming to the surface.

"You Humans are so arrogant! Always looking down on us like animals!" Adam roared, slamming his fist on the railing hard enough to dent it. Blake wasn't surprised. She was well aware of Adam's anger issues. As she glanced around at the various grunts, her eyes caught a shocking sight. Crouching in a corner is a camouflaged Ilia. As discreetly as she could, she looked at her former friend, who smiled at her, clearing knowing she spotted her. She held up a finger to her mouth, signalling her to stay quiet. With some worry, she complied and returned her attention back to Adam.

"Because we act like animals! All we ever did was lash out at Humanity, never trying to raise our standards to theirs. And we paid the price for that mistake" she said, staring defiantly at Adam. Silence reigned as the two former lovers glared each other down, but it quickly became apparent Blake was now dominant with her calm, collected stare cutting through his unfocused, wild one.

"You changed, Blake. You really have. I remember, once, you fought for our great cause with as much passion as me. But, now, you let Humans corrupt you and let them turn you into their slave. But, if you kill the Schnee now and pledge yourself to me, once again, I will forgive you" Adam stated cooly, thinking he still holds sway over her. Her answer dashed that hope, however.

"No! Not after you betrayed everything the White Fang stood for. Not after you turned your blade on our fellow Faunus for petty reasons. And not after you insulted my girlfriend!" she proclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear. Ilia, still hidden, gasped in surprise and felt a minor pang of hurt in her heart she immediately recognized. Her flame was taken by someone else. And it was a freaking Schnee, this time! A part of her tells her she should be furious at this, but it was surprisingly ignored. For the most part, at least. Eh, she'll focus on that, later. The numerous grunts gasped in shock and murmured to each other by how unbelievable this is. A Faunus dating a Schnee? No one was more outraged than Adam and he only one thing to say.

"Then, you've chosen your death. Kill them both!" he ordered. The grunts, despite their previous questioning, obeyed their commander and prepared to open fire. Weiss reacts first and unleashes a massive burst of ice that sends them all flying. Thanks to their Aura, the attack or their landing had no effect on them and they easily got back up. Blake drew her sword, but kept the sheath where it was, feeling she had no need for it. Three grunts with swords charged forward, but she easily blocked their blows and surprised by the quality of the blades they were wielding. Weiss immediately recognized the craftsmanship.

"Wait, your those-" she was cut off.

"Military-grade Atlesian weapons? Yes, they are. Our brothers in Atlas were generous enough to donate them to us when they discovered we were underequipped. These weapons are as durable as they come" Adam explained, smugly. The WB shared a knowing smirk at that.

"Not bad, but too bad for you, we also got some upgrades" Blake said and pressed a red button on her sword's handle, which activated the HF blade. So, her next strike easily sliced the swords in half, shocking the the grunts and Adam. Internally, Weiss squealed, delighting in just what kind of newfound tech they have access to. She snapped out of her giddiness to dodge a blow from a hammer and, with her HF blade, cut off the head, leaving the grunt to stare at the shaft, dumbfounded. The WB duo quickly fell into a vicious dance of slicing up weapons and taking down the grunts, but making sure to avoid lethal blows, for the time being.

Ilia watched this all with awe, which nearly caused her skin to revert back to its natural color. She stayed silent and slowly crept her way towards Adam. Capturing him will end this before something terrible happens. That, and she can finally pay him back for all of his abuse towards Blake.

Blake just knocked another grunt when she heard the roar of a chainsword and saw a White Fang lieutenant approach her, his monster of a weapon in hand. She immediately recognized it as the one that nearly killed Weiss, which caused her protective instincts to go into overdrive. This jerk nearly killed Weiss and, now, he must pay. The lieutenant went for an overhead swing, but Blake easily sliced it in half with her sword. Honestly, this new HF tech made these fights laughably easy. She switched it to sickle mode and began wrapping it around the lieutenant while also dodging his blows, since he still packed a nasty punch. Once he was sufficiently tied it, she pulled, tightening the chord enough to bind him and make him fall flat on his face. However, she didn't notice the grunt sneaking up behind her, but Weiss did.

"Blake, look out!" She was too late, though. As Blake turned around, the grunt got ready to fire and the rifle was likely able to do a massive number to her Aura. Suddenly, he began spasming, as if he were being electrocuted before falling to the ground, out cold. Standing behind him was Ilia, her whip in hand. Blake completely forgot about her, but was relieved to see her old friend is on their side.

"Another traitor?!" Adam shouted, earning Ilia's attention. She pointed her whip at him.

"The only traitor here is you, Adam" she said, calmly, earning a smile from Blake. She was happy Ilia didn't let her own hate blind her like Adam had. The grunts resumed their attack, but now there were three skilled combatants. Blake paid close attention to Ilia to make sure she stays safe. While she has her Aura unlocked and has a lot of it(not as much as Juane though) she has yet to unlock her Semblance. But, it looks like she's been training since she was gone, pulling off moves and feats of acrobatics she's never seen her do, before. She's improved a lot.

Weiss ain't doing bad, either. The grunts are unable to match her lightning fast, graceful style as she literally skates around them with her Semblance. Blasting them with ice, fire, and lightning the whole time. She even sent a cheeky wink, much to her amusement. Since her weapon was still used in keeping the lieutenant tied, she pulled out the sheath and continued the fight. It was just as effective at cutting through weapons, allowing her to knock them out with her free hand. Roughly twenty minutes passed before all of the grunts were defeated, but Adam slipped away during the battle, like the coward he was, deep down. With the fighting done, she turned to a suddenly shy Ilia.

"Ilila…" she whispered, still in shock at seeing one of her closest friends, again.

"It's been a long time, Blake" Ilia said with a small, genuine smile. Without another word, Blake hugged her, doing her best not to cry. Ilia was taken aback by this action, but quickly hugged back and seemed content to just remain there in Blake's arms. Weiss just stood, not sure who this girl was, but understood she was someone close to Blake. Though, the hugging was taking a while, so she let out a polite "ahem", causing the two to snap out of their moment and stare at her. Blake suddenly blushed in embarrassment.

"So, I take it you heard-" she started.

"That this Schnee is your girlfriend? You didn't exactly make it subtle, back there. I swear, Blake, I wonder what goes through your head, sometimes" Ilia said with a good-natured chuckle.

"As much as I enjoy seeing you again, what are you doing here?" Blake asked, confused.

"I could ask you that same thing… But, to answer your question, I was sent here by Sienna Khan. I didn't expect you to show up here just as I was beginning my stake out of the place" Ilia explained.

"Uh… sorry?' Blake said, questioningly, not sure if she should apologize or not.

"Don't be" Ilia said with another smile.

"You mind introducing me, Blake?" Weiss with an unamused expression, annoyed by being locked out of the loop.

"Oh, sorry. Weiss, this is Ilia Amitola, a trusted friend of mine from the White Fang" Blake said, with an apologetic smile.

"I suspected as much" Weiss said, simply. Ilia was taken aback by the fact she was aware of Blake's old ties and stared at Blake.

"Yes, Ilia, she knows I was a White Fang member. Don't worry, she can be trusted, even if she is a Schnee" Blake said, the last part being said with a teasing smirk, earning a giggle from Ilia. Weiss stared at her lover, not amused, again.

"Well, if you're done catching up, we have a job to do. Which way to where they store their documents?" she asked.

"This way" Blake and Ilia said in sync, which surprised Weiss before she remembered who she was talking to.

"Right. Well, we better get going" she said, simply.

"Would you like to come with us?" Blake asked Ilia. Ilia felt excited by the question, but kept her cool.

"I'll help you out, yes. But, I work better on my own. I'll sneak around and feed you any intel I come across. See you around" she said before rushing over to a vent, prying it off, and crawling inside.

"That went better than I expected. I was so sure she'd blow up at you for being a Schnee" Blake commented.

"It seems that you underestimated your friend, Blake. Come on, let's go" Weiss said and the two set out deeper into the facility.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside, a bullheaded landed and Team CRDL stepped out.

* * *

 **Things are starting to heat up and Team RWBY's secret is soon to be discovered. Probably in the next chapter or two.**

 **And no, I'm not going to kill off Adam THIS early. It just wouldn't do him justice. Sure, he's a racist bigot, but he still has a pretty loyal fanbase that I'm not going to anger and I do respect him, somewhat, myself, due to how compelling he is for being another Hitler(yes, I compared him to Hitler).**

 **Also, any of you want to see any of the RWBY villains appear? Feel free to send suggestions on that if you do.**


	13. Chapter 12

"A Dust mine accident, huh?"

"Pretty much"

Weiss was quite surprised by Ilia's backstory. She always thought Blake was the first Faunus to successfully infiltrate a Huntsmen academy, but it seems Ilia was the first by infiltrating an Atlas prep school. And she can see why. She looked like a Human and she would've never realized she's a Faunus if Blake hadn't told her she was White Fang. She was sad she lost her parents, since they likely worked in a Schnee Dust Mine, which barely had any safety measures save for keeping the place safe from Grimm and bandit attacks. Her father was a deplorable person and she can't wait to see him get what he deserves. Seriously, she can't wait.

Their trek into the base has been uneventful after that fight, which likely means they took down the entire facility's inhabitants and Adam is on his way out. They can catch him at a different time. They first need the data from the facility's mainframe. Thankfully, Blake knew where it was thanks to her previous ties to this place, but it will take a while to get there.

"Alright, the data storage area is just a few more rights, then a left from here" Blake said as they stopped at a T intersection.

"Adam was a fool to attack us with the facility's entire staff. Now, there's no one to stop us except himself" Weiss said, haughtily. Blake smirked. Then frowned in thought.

"I wonder how Ilia's doing," she said to herself.

"I'm sure she's doing fine. She seems able to take care of herself" Weiss said, reassuringly.

"I know, but she hasn't unlocked her Semblance, yet, and she can be rather hot-headed at times" Blake countered. This made Weiss smile.

"You really care about her, don't you?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"She's like a little sister to me. I had actually thought of trying to convince her to come with me to Beacon, but never got the chance to talk to her about it. Now, look at her. She's grown a lot since the last time I saw her" Blake said, pride seeping into voice as she did, which Weiss noticed. As an older sister, herself, she certainly can relate, even if Whitley is basically Jaqcues Schnee 2.0.

"Then, you can trust her to be careful. Besides, I doubt there's anyone left we need to worry about" Weiss said, grabbing Blake's hand with both of hers. They locked eyes and Blake sighed after a few moments.

"You're right, but I can't help but worry about her. Let's focus on the mission" she said, but completely missed the knowing smile on Weiss's lips. Blake was so Ilia's sister in every way that counts. Hopefully, she'll get to know the Faunus, when this is all over with. It wasn't long before they came upon the data storage room, which was lined with computers and filing cabinets of all sizes.

"So, which one?" Weiss asked.

"I have no idea. They never bother using just a single computer for storing important intel. So, just start searching them all" Blake explained. Suddenly a gun clicked as a White Fang grunt appeared in the doorway.

"Die, traitor!" he shouted. Seconds later, Ilia dropped behind him and put him into a sleeper hold. He was out in under a minute.

"Looks like there's a few stragglers around" she commented, causally, joining the WB duo. Blake shook her head in amusement. It took nearly 30 minutes to find what they were looking for, and it was incredibly boring for the most part. So, Weiss used this opportunity to talk to Ilia. She was understandably wary about talking to a Schnee, but warmed up as the conversation went on. As they were nearing completion, Blake's ears suddenly perked up and she looked worried.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked, noticing her shift in behavior.

"I hear some voices… They're getting louder, too" she said, concentrating her hearing.

"More White Fang?" Ilia asked.

"No, but these voice's sound familiar… Oh, Oum, I think it's Team CRDL!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide as dinner plates in panic. Weiss's eyes widen, as well.

"CRDL?! What are they doing here?!" she questioned, her mind racing. If they spotted her or Blake-ESPECIALLY Blake-then this would cause a lot of trouble for them as well as with Ruby and Yang.

"CRDL?" Ilia asked, confused.

"They're a Huntsmen team from Beacon and are _extremely_ racist. The second they see us, we'll be in Oum-knows-how-much trouble" Weiss replied. That got Ilia worried.

"How far are they?" she asked.

"If we leave, now, we can avoid them entirely. But, that means leaving the data behind" Blake explained. They were in a tight spot, but Ilia had an idea. A crazy and reckless one, sure, but it's better than nothing.

"I can distract them," she said, catching Blake's attention.

"What?! Ilia-" she was cut off.

"I know it's dangerous, Blake, but we don't have a lot of options right now. I can easily pass for a Human. As long as no one feels my skin, I'll be alright. Trust me" she said with a smile and darting out of the room. Blake looked worried, but a comforting smile Weiss allowed her to calm her nerves enough to focus on the task, at hand.

* * *

It didn't take long for Ilia to run into CRDL. As she expected, they were all men who screamed "I am a total moron, but respect me, anyway" with their mere presence. Hopefully, they're as dumba s they look. She moved in front of them and they stopped at ehr sudden appearance.

"Hey, who are you?" their leader, a big oaf carrying a big mace, demanded.

"My name is Ilia. I'm a freelance investigator sent to investigate these White Fang bases. You four must be Huntsmen" she said, the lie easily flying from her lips with practised ease.

"That's right! We're team CRDL, best team in Beacon" their leader said, proudly, nearly making Ilia snort. She knew that was a lie.

"Uh, third best team in Beacon, Cardin" one of his teammates, a guy with a mohawk, corrected.

"Quiet, Russel" Cardin hissed, quietly. Ilia fought down a smile. Obviously, this guy likes to think he's more important than he really is.

"So, who's your employer?" a guy with blue hair carrying a poleaxe asked.

"That is unimportant, but I must ask you to leave. Whoever that was in charge of this base has fled and I don't need Huntsmen-in-training getting in the way of my investigation" Ilia said, hoping these bozos bought.

"Then, why are there a bunch of out cold animals back there?" Cardin asked, pointing to the way they came from. That minor insulted stung a bit, but Ilia was too thick skinned to let it bother her. She also expected they'd ask that.

"I got spotted and they needed to be subdued. I wouldn't worry, they'll probably be apprehended by the time they wake up. Still, you should leave. I have it all under control" Ilia said.

"No can do. We've been sent here to bust up this gang of animals by Headmaster Ozpin, himself" Cardin said. Ilia can see the suspicion in his eyes, but didn't let it show. She won't attack them, yet. There's still a chance to end this diplomatically.

"I insist. I have plenty of experience dealing with White Fang. I'm sure your Headmaster will understand" Ilia said, levelly.

"Oh, he'll understand, alright. Understand why we have an animal trying to write itself off as an investigator" Cardin said, making Ilia gasp in shock. How did he figure it out?

"What are you talking about, Cardin?" the last guy asked.

"Simple: Ozpin wouldn't have sent us here if someone was already on the case. Even if he did, he would've told us about it, as well. And since this is a White Fang abse, it means we have ourself a stupid animal trying to get past us" he explained, smugly. Ilia's mouth dropped in shock. Guess he's not as much as an idiot as she thought. Suddenly, she found four weapons pointed at her.

"Now, be a good pet and come quietly" Cardin said, still smug. Now, Ilia was annoyed.

"You should've just left. Because, now I have to kick your butts" before Cardin could react, she slammed her palm against his chest with enough to send him flying into the wall that was several feet behind him. The guy with the poleaxe tried to slice her head off, but she leaned back to avoid it and sweeped his legs from him with her foot. These hallways were too narrow for her to use her whip effectively, so she needs to rely on hand-to-hand, for now.

She ducked under a swing from the guy's sword and followed up with a gut punch, knocking the wind out of him. She saw Russel rushing over, she kicked the sword guy into him, sending the two flying to the ground. By that point, Cardin regained his bearings and charged forward, his mace ready. Ilia dodged the first two swings, but when she dodged the third, she received a side punch from his free hand. This knocked her against the wall and dazed her for a second. She recovered in time to dodge a second punch and tried to hit him right in the face. He grabbed her fist and tried to bring his mace down her head. With all her strength, she managed to yank down to the ground, but his mace managed to land a blow on her back. She could feel her Aura dramatically lessen from the impact. The guy was strong, which is surprising considering he's quite huge.

Russel came forward, doing a surprising midair roll, and attacked in a flurry of blows from his twin daggers. She nimbly dodged, but ended up taking a direction from the poleaxe-wielding guy. The sword guy fired a few shots from the gun component of his weapon while she was distracted. They hit their mark and Ilia could feel her Aura was nearly depleted. These guys were skilled and there was no way she could beat them on her own. She tried to run and go get Blake and Weiss, but Cardin saw this and triggered the Fire Dust crystal in his mace. With it, he launched a powerful fireball and slammed into Ilia, breaking her Aura and causing her to let out a loud scream in pain.

* * *

Blake heard the scream and her protective instincts immediately went into overdrive. Without hesitation, she rushed out of the room, drawing her weapon, much to Weiss's shock. With a sigh, she began contacting General Duren to inform her that things are about to get complicated.

* * *

Even though her Aura managed to absorb the damage before breaking, that fireball still hurt and managed to cause some burns. Nothing major, thankfully, but she was still in pain to move, even as Cardin approached her menacingly. Ilia managed to send him a spiteful glare.

"If you're expecting me to beg, you can forget it!" she spat out. Cardin grinned.

"Oh, I'm not in the mood to capture you. Instead I'll just kill you and be done with it. Too bad you have no traits I can take. They'd be quite a trophy to show off back at Beacon" he said, making Ilia's blood boil. A number of Huntsmen had gotten into the habit of killing Faunus and taking their animals parts, as trophies. It's sick, but no one isn't stopping it, either. The only good thing about it is that it only habits outside the Kingdoms.

"Say, would you like to know what I call my mace? The Executioner" he said, raising the mace high in the air and readying a single, powerful strike. Ilia just glared at him, accepting her death with dignity. Suddenly, something slammed into him and he hit the wall, again. This time, however, he hit it with enough force to visibly dent it. The rest of CRDL looked at their leader in shock then at who did it. Ilia looked up and was shocked to see Blake standing there, her eyes glaring at the three with intense hatred and rage. She looked down at Ilia, her expression replaced with one of concern.

"You're okay?" she asked.

"I'll… live" Ilia replied, wincing.

"So, the infamous Blake Belladonna was a filthy animal, all long. Now, it all makes sense. Only an animal can love an animal as much as you do" Cardin said smugly as he rose to his feet. He had quickly spotted Blake's animal features once his eyes landed on them and was eager to capitalize on this.

"Ozpin's going to be very interested about this" he added.

"Tell him. We'll be gone by the time he responds. But, leave, now, or I will make you pay for every racist insult to ever come out of your mouth, Cardin" Blake said, confidently. Cardin actually flinched at that. He knew Blake wasn't someone to mess with, especially when she was angry, which was more often than her usual calm persona would lead you to believe. He had no doubts in his mind she would deliver on her promise without hesitation. But, it was still four against two. Maybe they can wear her down. So, with renewed confidence, he charged forward, but was shocked when Blake's sword sliced clean through the shaft of his mace without issue. The rest of CRDL's weapons didn't fare much better, either.

"That's new" Dove said as they stared at their bisected weapons dumbfounded.

"And I'm sure this can do as much damage to you, as well. Leave. NOW!' she shouted, growling fiercely. She wasn't going to let anyone hurt Ilia, ever. Cardin charged, ready to punch her. Blake sheathed her weapon and caught his fist. Thanks to her Aura, intense training, nanomachines, and other augmentations, she is much stronger than she appears, which is why she had no trouble holding back his fist with one hand. She used her free hand to hit him with a palm strike, which sent him flying for the third time. His Aura was still up, but it was severely drained by this constant heavy blows.

She ducked under both Russel and Sky's punches, grabbed the back of their heads and slammed them together, dazing them. She kicked Russel and pelted Sky with a series of fast punches. This sent reeling and open to a might kick that sent him flying into Dove. Cardin, again, tried to punch her, but she expertly deflected all of his blows with practised ease. While was distracted, Russel spotted Blake's tail and got an idea. Before she realized it, he had pulled her tail hard. At that moment, Blake's entire body seized up, as if she had been paralyzed. She fell to the ground with a tiny cat-like meow. CRDL laughed at the sight, but Ilia was horrified and tried to get up to help her, but was unable to.

Suddenly, a fireball flew towards them and Cardin barely had enough time to dodge it. He looked to see what caused it and was surprised to see a furious Weiss standing, her rapier pointing directly at them. He did notice it was different than last time he saw it and so did Weiss's outfit, but that didn't matter.

"Looks like they aren't as dead as we thought, Cardin" Sky muttered.

"Yeah. Just our luck" Cardin said, growling. They had just taken a beating from Blake, were in no shape to fight off Weiss, and they couldn't subdue her like they did with Blake.

"Let go of Blake, Cardin. Unless you want to know the feeling of being frozen, electrocuted, and burned all at once" she threatened, the barrels in her rapier spinning rapidly for emphasis.

"But, she's a filthy-" Cardin ahd to dodge another fireball from Weiss.

"I said LET HER GO. NOW!" she shouted, her patience at its end, making Cardin scared out of his mind.

"I wouldn't be so angry if I were you" Sky said, pointing the remnants of his sword at Blake's head, making Weiss gaso in shock. Cardin smiled in satisfaction and glad his teammate managed to tip things in his favor.

"Now, drop your weapon or Sky drops his" Cardin stated, simply. Weiss growled in anger, but after five minutes of silence, she calmed down and let her rapier fall to the floor.

"You win. This time" she said, levelly. In her mind, she wasn't worried, since she had contacted General Duren and informed her they may be captured. Hopefully, they get here in time.

* * *

The three were loaded into the bullhead and being taken back to Beacon, which the WB isn't looking forward too. Mostly for their partners' sake. Best case scenario, they are simply expelled and blacklisted. Worst case scenario, they're given life in prison. Blake had fully recovered her movement and was trying to comfort a worried Ilia, who had just turned blue in her sadness.

"Ozpin is going to be quite interested in hearing one of his best teams has been harboring a Faunus, this whole time. Looks like your Huntress careers end as soon as we arrive back at Beacon '' Cardin said, taking pleasure in finally getting back at the team that has been causing him so much grief.

"You don't scare us, Cardin. You never did" Blake hissed out. This earned her a slap from Cardin.

"I'd watch what I say, animal. You don't have immunity from assault, anymore. I can do with you what I want and no one will bat an eye" he said, still smug.

"You're still that annoying bully from first year, Cardin. You'll never grow up" Weiss said, haughtily. Cardin got suspicious.

"You're awfully calm for someone who's about to lose whatever they have left" he commented. Weiss smiled as the hum of another engine filled the air. Without warning, four spikes pierced through the bullhead door at the corner. By some unknown force, the door was ripped off, revealing an American transport flying by them. Soldiers began firing at CRDL, forcing them to duck to avoid being shot.

"Friends of yours?" Ilia asked, her skin returning to its normal color.

"Yep" Blake said, happily, as she got to work undoing their bonds. Thanks to some side-training in escape artistry and the fact CRDL was dumb enough to use regular ropes, she managed to free herself and worked on freeing Weiss and Ilia. Once they were free, they retrieved their weapons and hopped over to the transport. The Americans were curious about the third one, but saved that for a later time and rocketed off back to base after ensuring they weren't followed.

"You okay?" a soldier asked them.

"We are, thank you. But, we need to contact Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, immediately. I believe they might be compromised" Weiss said. The soldier nodded in understanding.

"We'll inform General Duren, effectively immediately"

* * *

 **Things are thickening and soon Team RWBY's secrets will come to light.**

 **Now, I'll bet some of you are wondering why Blake has a tail when she doesn't have one in canon. Well, I've decided to extend the bestial traits Faunus have. So, now Blake has a tail, slit pupils, sharper canines, and claw-like nails. How she hid them was by wrapping her tail around her waist, file down her nails, and were special contacts. This change is true for all Faunus, save for a few.**

 **And for the remark Ilia made on not letting anyone touch her skin? It's because her skin is actually scales that looks like regular skin on a distance. She's also cold-blooded, like real life reptiles.**


	14. Chapter 13

Ozpin has seen many odd and disheartening things in his time on Remnant. Some of them are minor and quite easily forgotten by the larger world. Others that will never fade into history due to their sheer magnitude. This, however, was in the latter category. He had sent CRDL to investigate a possible White Fang base and it seemed to have found something else, entirely. Blake and Weiss were alive, but there was more to it than that. Photos Cardin sent him clearly showed that Blake was a Faunus and while the idea that Cardin may have doctored them, he dismissed the possibility since neither him nor his teammates possess the skills needed and the photo looked too authentic to be a fake. Now, he has no real choice but to do something about this. Oh, how he hated the system for their unfair treatment of Faunus. But, that's a headache for another day.

Glynda, on the other hand, was both distraught and disappointed. She thought they were better than this, but they were breaking a major law without regret. It was obvious all three of them knew Blake was a Faunus and it made their pro-Faunus stance make all the more sense. But, they still broke the law and must pay for it, whether or not they think it's right.

"We best bring Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long to my office and get this over with" Ozpin said with a heavy, regretful sign. He is not looking forward to the conversation he is going to have nor is he looking forward to getting an earful from the Council when he brings this up to them, later.

"Of course, sir. I'll go collect them, myself" Glynda said, making her way to the elevator, but still to glance at Ozpin.

"For what it's worth, I don't feel any joy in what we're about to do, either. They were such bright girls. But, the law is clear: Faunus cannot enrol into Huntsmen Academies. As much as we dislike it, we have no choice in the matter. Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long must be confronted on their actions" she explained, before entering the elevator, leaving the headmaster alone.

"I wish we didn't have to" he said to himself, hating the entire situation.

* * *

Meanwhile, in RWBY's dorm room, the sisters were playing a few rounds of fighting games to pass the time, since they had nothing to do, today. Suddenly, Ruby's Scroll went off, indicating someone was calling her. Yang paused the game and Ruby answered.

"Ruby?! Are you and Yang together?!" it was Weiss and she sounded panicked. This immediately clued Ruby in something was wrong. Just outside the door, Jaune, was about to knock, but stopped when he heard the conversation.

"Weiss, what's wrong?" Ruby asked, which shocked Jaune. Weiss is still alive?

"Yes! We ran into Team CRDL while investigating a White Fang base. They know Blake's a Faunus and have already sent photos to Ozpin!" Ruby paled at that. That was bad. Glynda's likely already on her way to their dorm, as they spoke.

"Does General Duren know?" Jaune was confused. He didn't recognize that name nor did it sound like a type of color. Just who is it they're talking about.

"Yes. I informed her as soon as possible. But, you need to leave. But, you need to leave. Now! We can't let the world know about America, yet. A transport will pick you up in the Emerald Forest. A set of the exact coordinates will be sent to your Scroll" as soon as she said that, her Scroll pinged.

"We'll be there, Weiss. Don't worry" Ruby said and hung up.

"So. what was that all about?" Yang asked. Jaune pressed his ear against the door to listen in. Hopefully the door doesn't open itself. Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose and placed it into its holster.

"Yang, we have to leave. We've been found out" Ruby said, plainly. Yang's eyes widened in shock before becoming determined as she nodded in acknowledgement.

"Found out what exactly?" Jaune asked, opening the door. He had a stern look on his face. The sisters looked startled at his sudden appearance and scrambled to come up with a believable excuse.

"Well, you see Jaune-Is that Pyrrha making out with Ren?!" Ruby shouted, pointing behind her. Surprisingly, Jaune fell for it and looked behind him. Ruby used his distraction to slam him against the wall with her Semblance. With him dazed, they took off down the hall. However, they ended staring into the stern, but apologetic face of Glynda Goodwitch.

"I take it you know why I'm here?" she asked, calmly. The sisters were quiet, their nerves on edge. Before they could turn around and run in the opposite direction, Juane, along with the rest of JNPR, blocked off the other exits, trapping them.

"Then, I strongly suggest you come with me willingly" Glynda added, her riding crop in hand. She was most likely ready to use her Semblance to subdue them if necessary.

"What's going on, Miss Goodwitch?" Pyrrha asked, worry etched into her face.

"I fear Ruby and Yang have made some serious errors in judgement that they must be held accountable for, miss Nikos" Glynda replied, pushing up her glasses. JNPR looked shocked and worried at what the sisters could've done while Yang and Ruby sent mild glares at Glynda. They made no such mistakes, yet they're being punished for it, anyway.

"Ruby, please. Just do as she says. Don't make us force you" Juane said in a pained voice, his sword and shield at the ready. They were in a tight spot, but Yang glanced out the window and got an idea. Without warning, she activated Ember Celica and punched the wall hard enough to create a massive hole. Before anyone could react, Ruby enveloped both of them in her Semblance, fled through the hole and sped off towards the Emerald Forest. Glynda glared out the hole and accessed the intercoms through her Scroll.

"Attention all students and faculty of Beacon. Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao long have committed a serious crime and are fleeing towards the Emerald Forest. Any available Third and Fourth year Teams head towards them, immediately. They must be apprehended" Glynda's message sent shock, worry, and disbelief through everyone in the academy. Team RWBY was a famous Huntress team that many First Years wanted to emulate. To hear that they have broken the law shattered that pedestal into pieces. Several Fourth and Third year teams heeded Glynda's call, but Ruby's Semblance would mean they would have a massive head start on them. Jaune stared out the hole with a look of betrayal and hurt. Ruby, his first friend at Beacon and surrogate little sister, had turned out to be criminals. Pyrrha saw his distress and placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort. It brought none.

* * *

Ruby stopped at the cliff, dropping Yang as she leaned on her knees, panting heavily. Despite her increased control over her Semblance, having carried a much heavier person with her over such a massive distance pushed her stamina to its limits and really tired her out. She doubted she could do that again. Yang got up and looked over the forest below.

"You know, it feels like just yesterday that we were first years being launched from here and became Huntresses-in-training" she said, nostalgia feeling her.

"Yeah… Yang, do you think we'll ever come back?" Ruby asked her sister, finally caught her breath.

"Don't know, sis. But, that's for later. Where are we supposed to go?" Yang asked. Ruby pulled out her Scroll and checked the coordinates. She was a bit surprised by where they were.

"Wow… the exact same place we got these chess piece relics from," she said. Yang turned to her in surprise.

"Wait, really? How about that. But, how are we going to get there before Glynda and her posse catch us?" she asked. Ruby thought about that and spotted the catapult platforms used to launch new students into the forest and got an idea. She began fiddling with one of them, calling upon every ounce of mechanical knowledge she knew for this. Yang understood what she was doing and turned back to Beacon and to keep an eye out for approaching students or faculty. Ten minutes passed and Yang can barely hear the vague sound and heavy footsteps, meaning time was running short.

"Uh, how are you doing, Rubes? Cause we're about to have a lot of unwelcome company" she said, nervously.

"It's ready… Yang, you first" Ruby said, standing up. Yang looked at her sister as if she was crazy.

"What?! NO! I'm **NOT** going to leave you, by yourself!" she said, sternly. That sternness faded when she saw Ruby's furious expression.

" **Yes, you are, Yang!** I only have enough time to rig one platform and I need to stay behind to sabotage the others so they can't follow us! We can't be captured, so we need to make sure no one can follow us before we can get to safety!" she explained, already working on dismantling the other platforms, which is easier and quicker to do since she essentially is breaking them. Yang still looked unsure, which Ruby noticed and flashed a kind and reassuring smile.

"Yang, trust me," she said. After a minute of silence, Yang stepped onto the modified platform and glanced at Ruby.

"You better be right behind me" she said before she was launched much farther than what the platforms usually did. Ruby kept on with her work, undoing wires, removing screws and bolts, and anything else she thinks needs breaking. Once she was done, she stepped onto the modded platform, holding Crescent Rose in its rifle mode. The crowd of students was visible now and Glynda was at the tip of it. She took one last look at Beacon before she was launched. While in the air, she aimed at the platform and fired. The bullet destroyed the platform, rendering it useless. Glynda watched the girl fly into the air and let out an annoyed grunt before contacting some on her Scroll.

"I need a bullhead at my location, immediately" she said, sternly.

* * *

Ruby landed next to a waiting Yang. The sister duo sped through the forest towards their destination. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the ruins, but Ruby stopped in her tracks and pulled out her Scroll. Yang looked at her, quizzically.

"What's wrong, Rubes?" she asked.

"Yang, we need to destroy our Scrolls" Ruby simply. Most Huntsmen Scrolls have a built-in tracking chip to allow the owner to locate in the event they get lost, are unable to to return to civilization on their own, or are wanted fugitives on the run. Ruby knew that, but first, she needed to make one last call. She dialed the number of her dad. Yang immediately realized this and stared at Ruby with concerned, but reassuring eyes. It went to voicemail, though, meaning he's likely out of the house.

"Dad, it's me… Listen, me and Yang… we did something that got us labeled as criminals. So, we'll be unable to come home for a while… But, the truth is… we've defected to a hidden group that wants to make the world better… I can't tell you who they are… not yet, anyway… but we won't be contacting you for a long time. I'm sorry if we let you and Uncle Qrow down, but we've made our choice… But, please know we still love you dad… So, don't fall into another drunken spiral, again… We'll be fine, I promise… Goodbye" by the time Ruby ended the call, she was in tears as she sunk to her knees. Yang immediately went to comfort her and they stayed there, clinging to each other for a good five minutes. Once Ruby had calmed down, she handed the Scroll to Yang. She placed both her and Ruby's Scrolls in the palm of her prosthetic arm and used its mechanical strength and crushed them both beyond repair. She let the pieces fall to the ground and they stared at them, forlorn.

The rumbling of an engine caught their attention. They looked up and were horrified that it wasn't an American transported, but a bullhead. Before either of them could react, several students jumped out and surrounded them, their weapons all pointed at them. Judging by the ease at which they moved, they were all Fourth Years and, even being the best team at Beacon, they couldn't defeat so many skilled opponents, at once. Glynda joined them on the ground.

"I'm very disappointed in both of you. First, you harbor a Faunus in Beacon, but now you resist our attempts at settling matters in a diplomatic manner. We could've lessened your punishment, but now, I fear we'll have no choice but to give you the full sentence" she said. If any of the students were shocked, they didn't show it.

"But, there is one thing I like to know: Why did you do it? You were Beacon's brightest, yet you threw it all away to hide Miss Belladonna's secret, knowing the repercussions you receive for such an action. You know it's against the law for Faunus to become Huntsmen" Glynda said. Ruby's expression became one of absolute fury, one that Glynda has rarely seen on the young girl.

"The law is wrong, Glydna! And you know it! The Faunus aren't animals to be caged like savages! They have just as much a right to prosper as Humans! They've done nothing wrong to us, but we unfairly scorned them for being different! And I refused to stand by and let that happen!" she exclaimed, angrily. There was a great deal of passion, fury, and rage in her voice, it's a miracle she didn't attract any Grimm.

"Be that is may, you still broke the law-" Glynda started to say, but was cut off.

"Save it, Goodwitch. We've been hearing that exact same thing since we were born. And I'm personally sick of hearing something hypocritical. You've been poor. You've been hungry. You have no idea what it's like to wake up each day, not knowing if you'll put food on the table, or have a roof over your head, or even know if you'll live to see tomorrow" Yang blurted out, just as angry as Ruby. In fact, her eyes had actually changed to blood red, startling many of the students, as they didn't know about Yang's Semblance. Glynda stood there shocked at the audacity she just received. Normally, she'd immediately reprimand her for acting so rude, but didn't since she was too shocked.

"But, we do. We grew in Patch and had more than a few run-ins with Grimm and nearly died. We know how it feels to suffer. We know what it's like to live in constant fear of being taken from our home by cruel monsters" Yang added, glaring coldly at Glynda, the insult obviously being directed at her.

"That is quite enough. Now, you two will come with me to the Headmaster's office, where you will tell us everything you know. Then, you expelled, permanently banned from ever becoming Huntresses, and handed over to the authorities for imprisonment" Glynda said, angry at being so brazenly accused by these two. Suddenly, green lasers shot down from the sky, sending the students flying back. Glynda protected herself by raising a barrier with her riding crop. Once the dust settled, someone flew through the air. Yes, actually flew. They landed in front of the sisters.

It was a girl. She had light skin with freckles, bright green eyes, and short, really curly orange hair. In her hair was a black bow. Her dress had a distinct Victorian-era design. The abdominal region is black with four golden buttons; the upper blouse remains silver, but the vertical lining now extends well down from the collar. Her collar piece does away with the green accents and is instead finished with a black ribbon, another power button at its center. She wears black fleece gloves with circular golden accents at the knuckles. Her footwear is a of boots, with the green lines on her stockings illuminating exclusively when she uses them. On her back a small metallic backpack.

"SALUTATIONS!" the girl said, excitedly, her arms wide as if about to give someone a hug. Everyone stared at her with puzzled expressions. Just where did this girl come from?

"And, pray tell, are you? What is your business here?" Glynda asked, slowly and cautiously.

"Why, I am Penny Poledina and I am here to rescue these two from your grasp. Is that wrong?" Penny asked, tilting her head to the side rather cutely.

"Yes. These girls are fugitives-" again, Glynda was cut off.

"Nope, they aren't fugitives. They merely did what they thought was right, regardless of what others said. There is a difference. And I'm here to ensure they keep doing what's right" Penny said, still smiling widely, but the steely tone in her voice wasn't missed.

"Then, it seems we have to bring you in, as well, for aiding and abetting two criminals" Glynda said as the students got ready to attack.

"Is that so? Well, if you insist" Penny said. Suddenly, the backpack opened up and fourteen single-edged swords flew out and formed a circle with the blades pointing outwards behind her. The students all fired at once, hoping to overwhelm her with sheer firepower. However, Penny easily deflected all of their incoming fire by spinning her swords to form a makeshift shield. All the while, Penny pulled off some impressive ballet moves that would make a ballerina jealous. They eventually stopped firing, needing to reload, and Penny seized this opportunity. Her swords transformed into guns and formed a ring in front of her. They began spinning as an orb of green energy formed in the center. As the orb grew bigger, the guns began to spin faster.

Penny thrust her fist out, causing the orb to launch forward in a massive beam. Glynda managed to form a barrier to block it, but it was taking everything she had to maintain against such a powerful attack. The sisters stared at the girl in awe at the display. Just how powerful is this girl? Suddenly, an American transport appeared and landed behind them. Seeing their cue, the sister rushed inside, but Ruby stopped to glance worriedly. Penny glanced back and winked in reassuring. Yang pulled her sister inside and the transport took off. Once it was out of sight, Penny relented in her assault. Glynda finally dropped the barrier, but the assault had broken her Aura, leaving her weakened.

"I am no longer needed here. Have a nice day!" Penny said cheerfully. The green lines on her stockings started glowing and jets erupted from her boots. Penny took off into the sky after the transport at an astonishing speed. Glynda could only watch her fly off, amazed by her power and shocked that they had gotten away.

* * *

"That was awesome! Yang, did you see her swords?! Did you see how they fired that massive energy beam?!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly, her eyes filled with stars. Yang smiled at her little sister. Even after all this time, she was still the same excited weapons nut. She turned to the pilot.

"So, we off to base?" she asked.

"Negative, ma'am. General Duren thought it would be better for you and your friends if you were safe on American soil" the pilot explained, catching the sisters off guard.

"Wait, does that mean we're-" Ruby started, breathless.

"Yes, ma'am. We're off to America!"

* * *

"I take it they escaped '' Ozpin said, simply, as an exhausted and annoyed Glynda entered his office. Team JNPR was right behind her and he was curious about what they're here for.

"I'm afraid so, Ozpin. And not for a lack of trying, mind you. We actually nearly had them, but then this strange girl appeared and held us off long enough for them to escape" Glynda explained. This caught his attention.

"How did they escape out of the Emerald Forest?" he asked. The whole forest was surrounded by sheer cliffs that were impossible to climb.

"Some odd bullhead appeared and flew them out and the girl-Penny-had jet boosters that let her follow them. The bullhead was of a design I've never seen before with a strange symbol on it" Glynda said.

"Strange symbol?" Ozpin parroted.

"Yes, one of the Fourth years with me managed to take a photo" Glynda replied. Glynda handed him the Scroll and he got a good look. It was a rectangle, meaning it was likely a flag. Most of it was covered in thirteen stripes that alternated between red and white. A large part of the left side against the corner was engulfed by a blue color with fifty white stars in neat rows filling in the area. It didn't match any symbols he's seen before.

"Curious. Now, care to explain why Team JNPR is here?" Ozpin asked, placing the Scroll to the side, for now.

"It seems that Mister Arc overheard a conversation Miss Rose was having with Weiss" Glynda said.

"Is that so?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Jaune stepped forward.

"Yes, but I got one side of it. But, I heard Ruby mention a General Duren. Do you know anyone by that name?" Jaune asked. Ozpin mulled over that name several times in his head, but no one named Duren came to mind.

"Can't say I have. And I take it they also destroyed their Scrolls so they can't be tracked" Ozpin guessed. The bemused expression on Glynda's face said it all.

"I see. If you have nothing else to report, you'd best return to your dorm and rest. I'm sure this day has a great toll on you all" Ozpin said. JNPR didn't complan and moved wordlessly to the elevator. Once they were gone, Glynda turned to Ozpin.

"What do we do now, sir?" she asked.

"For now? Business as usual, but I will be calling my contacts to see if we can pinpoint RWBY mysterious benefactor. As well as their location. And don't worry, I'll handle the backlash we'll receive from the Council on this. Glynda nodded at that statement and left the office. Ozpin got up from his chair and looked at the campus from the window.

"It seems there is more to this world than even I realized. I wonder how she will respond to this?

* * *

 **Heavy chapter, isn't it? Hopefully, the next few will be more lighthearted. And hey, Penny is here! I decided to use her Volume 7 outfit but had kept her pre-Volume 3 hairstyle.**

 **So, now all of RWBY is outed and will be arriving in America. Wonder what they'll do there.**

 **Also, JNPR will NOT be joining RWBY in the near future. I know some of you will give me some flak for that, but I have a few good reasons for it: mainly their loyalty.**

 **Yang and Ruby are loyal to the people, as they had grew up in Patch, which is considered outside the kingdom in this story. They've had to worry about Grimm attacks, especially since their house is pretty remote.**

 **Weiss is loyal to Team RWBY, since they've more of a family to her than her actual family. Her father's a jerk, her mother is an alcoholic deadbeat, her brother is a kiss up, and her sister is likely too business with her duties as a Specialist to keep an eye on Weiss, despite her actually caring about Weiss as a person.**

 **Blake is loyal to her people, the Faunus. It's always been her goal to unite Humans and Faunus together and now that she's found a way to do so without violence, she will take it.**

 **JNPR in contrast, most Jaune and Pyrrha, don't have similar experiences. Juane lived in a loving family and really had no reason to become a Huntsmen other than to honor his family's legacy. He likely has a good home and a well off family. Pyrrha is obviously wealthy due to her status as a celebrity. Neither of them had to struggle nor did they have rotten homelives, so they have no reason to distrust their kingdom's government.** **An argument can be made that Ren and Nora would defect since they've suffered and I do grant said argument its full weight. But, in Volume 7, Ren was willing to support Ironwood's methods, at first. So, him debratying Vale ain't as easy as it seems. But, my and a friend of mine agree they won't defect without a good reason.** **Also, try to see things from their perspective. Team RWBY, their closest friends, had seemingly betrayed them for no reason and didn't even let them be in the loop about it, not even Jaune, who had a sibling-like relationship with Ruby. That's bound to sting.**

 **Also, I'm liking the idea of the "friends become enemies" theme it brings. It'll add some interesting elements to the story that'll have lasting consequences.**

 **And if yous till disagree with me and want to change it? Too bad, but I ain't changing it, since I'm in no mood to rewrite the entire chapter for a few upset fans. If you don't like it, go find another story or write your own.**


	15. Chapter 14

"Where are they?! They should be here by now!"

"Weiss, please calm down. You're pacing is gaining attention"

Weiss stopped and glanced around and she was indeed drawing attention from everyone. She, Blake, and Ilia were all waiting in, surprisingly, an American airbase on an island in the fringes of their territory for the sisters to arrive. It has been an hour and Weiss's curiosity at the advanced tech that comprises the facility has waned considerably as her concern for Yang and Ruby grew. Blake, in contrast, was perfectly calm. Yes, she was just as worried, but Weiss tended to worry a lot and someone needed to reign her in. As her girlfriend, Blake felt that responsibility fell to her, even if Weiss didn't listen, right away. Ilia, for her part, was calm, but tense due to being in an unfamiliar environment. Her nervousness showed through her now yellow skin.

"I'm sorry, Blake. I'm just worried. Why aren't they here yet? What if they were captured and hauled off to Ironwood for interrogation or worse" she said, her nerves getting the better of her. Again.

"Don't worry, Weiss. I'm sure they will do everything in their power to get them to safety. I promise you" Blake said, clutching Wiess's hand, gently. The two stared into each other's eyes for a while before Weiss sighed and sat down, breathing deeply to calm herself down.

"Thanks, I needed that. I'm still worried, though" she said.

"So am I, but I'm confident they'll be here soon," Blake said. At that moment, the doors open and the sisters come in. They instantly spot each other and, without a moment's hesitation, rushed over and collided into a four way group hug.

"Oh, we missed you guys!" Yang exclaimed, happily.

"It just never felt the same without you!" Ruby said, on the verge of crying.

"I missed you, too, you dolt!" Weiss said, the old insult now a term of endearment by now.

"It feels good to be together again!" Blake laughed, out loud, her usual stoic demeanor replaced with unbridled joy and elation. Ilia had calmed down enough for her skin to revert back to normal and she watched this scene with a little smile. She had already told Blake about her run-in with Ruby and she was eager to get to know the girl even more. The group let go of each other and the sister finally got a good look at Blake, specifically her feline features that she always kept hidden. Even though they already knew she was a Faunus, it was still surprising to see Blake's ears as well as her long black tail(it must've been as long as her torso, easily). Her slit eyes seemed to stare into their souls, even more so than they usually did.

"Aww… Blake, your cat parts are so cute…" Ruby gushed, but then paled when she saw a smirk on Yang's face, one she recognized. It was her "I'm going to make a terrible pun with zero regrets" smirk. Blake and Weiss saw it too and were just as horrified.

"Well, I'm glad we're all together, otherwise it would be…" she started.

"Yang, no!"

"Yang Xiao long, don't you dare!"

"Don't do it, Yang!"

"Cat-tastrophe!" she finished with that same cheeky grin, earning groans from everyone who heard. Ilia, however, actually chuckled at the joke, which made the RWB trio look at her in horror while Yang beamed. Finally, someone who had a sense of humor.

"That was actually pretty funny," she said earnestly.

"Ilia, no! Don't encourage her!" Blake exclaimed, fearfully.

"Oh, Blake, don't be such a sour puss!" Yang said, giving Blake a one-armed hug. The Cat Faunus groaned in agony. Yang's puns were so bad, they could be used as a legimitate torture method! The fact Ilia actually likes them didn't help either.

"Heh, sour puss! I get it!" Ilia chuckled out.

"See, she appreciates my jokes," Yang said, smugly.

"Because she never had a sense of humor" Blake deadpanned, staring at Ilia in annoyance. The chameleon Faunus smiled back with a mild cheeky grin. She was so amused, her skin actually changed to a light yellow. Yang smiled at that.

"Oh, she's a cat-meleon" she quipped. More groans are heard.

"Oh, Oum, please make it stop! This is worse than Professor Port's class!" Ruby groaned in agony. Ilia and Yang just kept laughing at Yang's teammates' expense. They finally calmed down and it looks like Yang has finally had her fill of puns. For now. With that out of the way, the five were escorted to a private jet that would take them straight to Washington D.C., the capital city of America. On board, they ran into a familiar face.

"Salutations!" Penny exclaimed, happily, with a salute.

"Hey you're the girl they saved us!" Ruby exclaimed, happily.

"Yes, I am. My name is Penny, in case you do not remember or we have never met. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance" Penny said cheerfully. Weiss noted how robotic she sounded, but didn't think about it. It was probably nothing.

"She saved you?" Blake asked.

"Yeah. Glynda nearly had us and would've been on our way to a jail cell if it wasn't for her" Yang said.

"It was my pleasure and I have been assigned as your personal guide during your stay in our country. Should require any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. Feel free to relax until we arrive in Washington D.C." Penny explained. They boarded the plane and got comfy while Penny entered the cockpit with the pilot. Ruby spent the entire time talking to Ilia, which didn't go unnoticed by either Yang or Blake. Both were excited to learn these two had a potential bond forming and would be happy to help it, along. Ruby definitely needs to get in a relationship, soon, in Yang's mind. Blake didn't share that thought, but felt eager to see Ilia find love, especially since Ruby's a Human. This could help her get more comfortable around Humans.

The flight lasted several hours and they each were doing their own things in the meantime. The clouds parted, allowing Weiss to see out and gasp in awe. The rest saw her expression and looked out the window in curiosity and were equally as amazed. Before them was Washington D.C.

The city was larger than any kingdom's capital and seemed to blend Valean and Atlesian architecture seamlessly. Technology that outstrips Atlas was everywhere with hover vehicles and even a few airships. In the streets, numerous people, both Human and Faunus, mingled about without any signs of discrimination. As they flew over, Yang caught a glimpse of a nearby military base with soldiers training below. Tall buildings with massive screens showing numerous products were scattered about, igniting Weiss's inner businesswoman. The jet landed at an airport, which looked quite fancy, indicating it was one of the more expensive ones. Waiting for them outside was a limousine, which made Ruby giddy, having always wanted to ride in one. For Weiss, she has had enough of limos thanks to her father, but stomached it since she didn't want to walk to a destination she does not know the location of.

They drove through the city, allowing them to get an even better glimpse of it. Many of the houses were decently sized and likely belonged to wealthy families and politicians. Ruby spotted a gun store, much to her delight. It didn't take long for them to come up to a truly massive building. It was pure white and had an entirely different architecture compared to the rest of the city, meaning it's likely from an older era. The center part of the front was rounded with pillars and on top was a flagpole, the American Flag waving in the wind.

"This place sure is fancy" Yang commented as the limo stopped in front of it. They got out and a couple of men in suits with sunglasses directed them to follow them into the building.

"It is, but it doesn't look like a mansion. I think this might be where their governing body resides" Blake said. They enter through the main entrance. While the outside was white, the interior was well decorated with some ancient-looking pieces of art and beautiful marble walls, floors, ceilings, and columns. Whoever built this place sure had a taste in the finer things in life. And Weiss felt a sense of welcome and peace instead of the usual loneliness and cold that fills her family's mansion. However, a woman in the same suit as the men stopped them.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I must ask you to turn in your weapons before going forward. And you go through the metal detector. Don't worry, this is just standard protocol" she explained. Ilia, her distrust of Humans and Human-run governments flaring, was about to protest, but Blake silently stopped her and handed her Gambol Shroud. The rest of RWBY followed suit and Ilia reluctantly did, as well. They then walked through the metal detector, first with Ruby, followed by Weiss, and then Blake. When Yang went through, the scanner turned red with a blaring nice.

"Metallic object detected" a computerized voice said.

"Oh, that might've been my prosthetic" Yang said, letting the woman see her obviously metal arm. She nodded in satisfaction and let her through. Ilia had no problems and the group resumed their trek. The group arrived into a luxurious office room that was obviously well maintained. Sitting at the desk was a woman in her 40s with red hair in a neat bun and green eyes dressed in a nice suit. She was, shockingly, a Faunus, possessing the same feline traits of Blake, though hers are more akin to a leopard than a house cat. They can even see her tail swaying behind her.

"Ah, welcome, Team RWBY. I hope you all had a pleasant trip" the woman with a friendly smile.

"It was and I have to say, your land is so beautiful and your city is so wondrous" Weiss was the first to reply. The woman chuckled.

"Thank you. Now, allow me to introduce myself. I am Maya Romanoff, the President of the United States of America" she said, with a bit of flair. The word states caught Weiss's attention. Was America originally a group of independent kingdoms that banded together? But the fact they don't have a Council was odd. Wouldn't it be easier to have a group of elected officials running together? Meanwhile, Maya was wondering how to ensure RWBY's loyalty to America. She knows these girls have good hearts, but even good-hearted people can be dangerous enemies under the right circumstances. Good thing she's a professional politician.

"Now, due to Beacon's discovery of your status as moles, they'll likely be searching for you and could potentially stumble across our nation in the process and attack us. If such a thing were to happen… Well, let's just say we Americans tend to go all out, and there will be potential loss of life and I don't mean soldiers and Huntsmen '' she explained, thoroughly gauging their reactions. Ruby and Yang were the most obvious, understanding the implied threat, and were wide-eyed with horror and concern for the civilians. Blake's was the most subdued, as her goals wouldn't be possible without some loss of life, but she isn't Adam and refuses to take more lives than necessary. Weiss looked thoughtful, though. Ilia remained quiet, unsure what to do, here.

"You can't hurt civilians! They've done nothing wrong!" Ruby shouted, desperately. Weiss, calmly, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, Ruby, she didn't mean it. If they wanted to harm civilians, they would've done it, ages ago" she said with a knowing smirk. Maya smiled back. She knew Weiss had a good head on her shoulders.

"She's right. We try not to harm innocents whenever a conflict happens. I just simply wish to know where your loyalties lie. With the US or with the Kingdoms" Maya said with a judging stare. Ruby didn't falter under it, though.

"Neither. Team RWBY's goal to make the world better and protect the innocent from whatever that might harm them. You simply seem to give us the best odds of doing that" she said, calmly. Ilia was rather impressed by her conviction. She's basically telling this woman she doesn't serve her to her face without an ounce of guilt. The two stared at each other for a good long while before Maya nodded.

"That's an acceptable answer. Vale is lucky, but undeserving, to have such a heroic warrior like you" she said, smiling in satisfaction.

"So, what's the plan from here on?" Yang asked.

"What we've been doing, so far. Observation and slowly introducing ourselves. We had planned on negotiating a treaty with the kingdom, but we had decided to hold off on it. We've detected a massive number of Elder Grimm gathering, but don't know why" Maya explained, shocking the girls. Elder Grimm tend to stay hidden to avoid Humanity and wait for an opportune moment to strike. So, the fact they're starting to gather is an ominous development.

"I know how this must sound, but rest assured, we're keeping an eye on the situation and are ready to respond should anything happen. For now, feel free to enjoy everything our country has to offer" Maya said. The four looked at each other, but trusted she knew what she was doing and were escorted out by security.

"But, you, stay would you? We have some things to discuss as well" she added, directing it at Ilia. Bake looked worried for her, but knew she was in no danger. Ilia returned to Maya desk and sat in one of the chairs.

"Now, your presence was an unexpected development in Weiss's rescue. Care to introduce yourself and why you were at the White Fang base?" Maya asked, sternly.

"Ilia Amitola. And before I answer, do you know the current state of the White Fang?" Ilia asked. Maya raised an eyebrow at the question.

"No, we have been unable to hack into their comms, for the time being" she replied.

"Well, recently, the White Fang has split in two. The cells in Vacuo, Vale, and Atlas had all denounced Sienna Khan as the High Leader after she announced that the White Fang would be using more peaceful methods. It was due to us gaining a… mysterious benefactor" Ilia explained, a knowing smile crossing her lips at the last bit. She knew what America was doing. Maya seemed to realize this, as she smiled back.

"That's excellent news. And I take it you're a part of the White Fang still loyal to Sienna" Maya said.

"Yes. I was sent to infiltrate that base to uncover Adam's plans. Blake and Weiss's own mission there was pure coincidence" Ilia said.

"This is an unexpected development for all parties relevant. You're still, technically, an enemy to us, yet the division of the White Fang and how well Blake seems to trust you. Still, I can't just let you roam the city without any way of keeping an eye on you" Maya said. Ilia gulped in worry. She knew her membership as a White Fang agent would cause some trouble with Humans, but this might be more than she is expecting. A man came up and handed her a strange bracelet.

"What's this?" she asked.

"And Electronic Tag. Our law enforcement use it to keep track of criminals on probation. This particular model is easier to conceal than most. This is our compromise for you. If you keep this Tag on at all times for the foreseeable future, you won't be placed in a prison cell. Understood?" Maya said, sternly.

"Y-yes, ma'am" Ilia replied, quietly and she placed the tag on her wrist. With a cling, it locked into place and Ilia was amazed by how it would budge, now.

"I do apologize for this, but we have some serious anti-White Fang sentiments, so this is as much for your own safety as our own. Now, why don't don't you go catch up with RWBY" Maya said. Ilia nodded and rushed off after them. Maya sighed once she was gone.

"That was a risky move, you know"

Maya glanced to her right and saw someone that always got on her nerves, Vice President Vladimir Cobald. He was a 50ish man with blonde hair and a stern expression, even when relaxed. He was one of Maya's harshest critics, which she felt was needed in such a position where one decision can undo everything in an instant.

"I'm aware Vlad, but I have my reasons. And no, one of them is not because we're both Faunus" Maya said, adding the last sentence before he could even say it. Vlad, for his part, didn't appear phased.

"Yet, she freely admitted to being a part of the White Fang. This division does change things, I won't deny that. But, we have no way of knowing which side she fights for" he stated, pacing in front of Maya's desk.

"You bring up a good point, Vlad. But, that's why I gave her the tag. Not only does it let us know where she is at all times, but it'll also give her a minor jolt whenever she goes somewhere she isn't allowed. And if it's removed for any reason outside a police station, it will be treated seriously. That I can assure you" Maya explained. Vladimir looked satisfied.

"I do hope you keep your word, Maya. I'd hate to have to clean up your mess" he said and left the Oval Office. Maya smiled, glad she chose someone like him as her Vice President.

* * *

The five were transported, by limo again, to a rather fancy 5 star apartment complex. To their surprise, they were given the penthouse, all expenses paid by the White House. A little stunned, they rode the elevator up to the penthouse.

It was a large four bedroom place with modern everything. The living room was spacious with a large fireplace, several long couches with a coffee table, a bookshelf filled to capacity, and there was a stairwell leading to the second floor. The kitchen had no walls dividing it from the living room. It had a large island with several dining chairs, an impressive looking stove, a double door fridge, a fridge-size freezer, several counters, and a dishwasher. The girls explored the whole penthouse. The upstairs contained the bedrooms, each the size of a dorm room at Beacon plus their own bathrooms. Each room had a king sized bed, a desk, two living chairs in front of a TV, and a minifridge. At the end of the hall was, surprisingly enough, a fully stocked training room, with weights, treadmills, and other such equipment. There was also a door on the right of the training room door that led to a spacious balcony with its own table with chairs, an outdoor grill, and even a large hot tub, which made Weiss drool. Connected to the kitchen was a decent sized laundry room and pantry. The whole place had a rustic, welcoming feel to it with a hint of modern colors, as well.

The five regrouped in the living room.

"This house is loaded!" Ruby shouted, happily.

"You're telling me! President Maya certainly made sure we got only the very best" Weiss commented, holding Blake's hand firmly in hers. Ilia looked slightly jealous, but not as much as before, and no one noticed.

"There are only four bedrooms, though. So, two of us are going to have to share" she commented.

"I'm sure our lovebirds, here, wouldn't mind sharing a space" Yang said with a sly smile. The WB duo understood what she meant and blushed profusely.

"Yang does have a point. I don't think I'd like to be so far from Blake" Weiss said, not-so-subtly scooting closer to Blake. Blake blushed slightly, but still cuddled up with Weiss, earning "aww"s from the sisters. Ilia felt jealous again.

"So, what do we do, now, anyway?" Yang asked, confused.

"I guess just get used to living in this city" Ruby shrugged, not really sure herself. Since it was late, the five decided to get some sleep. After deciding which rooms they get, they simply stripped down to their undergarments, since they left all of their clothes back at Beacon, and climbed into the absurdly soft beds. Sleep claimed them almost instantly.

* * *

This was no Ozpin's day. First, one of his best teams turned out to be defectors. There's a new potential enemy in the shadows that RWBY seemingly works for. And now, he's being berated by the Vale Council… Again. Honestly, it's actually amazing they can still get shocked and angry at his constant abuse of loop holes at this point. At least General Ironwood isn't scolding him. Well, not yet, anyway.

"Yes, Councilors, I'm aware of how dire this development is. And yes, I should've taken more steps to capture them. But, can we please move on with the matter" he said, finally having enough of them.

" _I'm with Ozpin on this, Councilors. Sitting here scolding him won't get us any closer to uncovering who this elusive group is. All we have is an unknown symbol and a name_ " Ironwood said.

"General Duren. Sadly, that is not a name I've heard before. I have my contacts searching for anyone with that name, but I have doubts they will be successful" Ozpin said.

" _The same can be said for this odd symbol_ " one of the Councilors stated as the strange symbol appeared on screen.

" _It matches no known factions, past or present. But, it's obvious they aren't a small organization. They're constantly thwarting the White Fang and their recent extraction of the Huntress Team RWBY attests to that_ " another Councilor said.

"As well as that girl that aided in the escape of Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long. Penny Polendina I believe Glynda said her name was. She was quite skilled" Ozpin said. Footage of Penny in action popped up. Ironwood was impressed by her unique fighting style and ability to fly. Such a shame she isn't serving Atlas.

"W _hoever this girl serves, they seem to be quite advanced, as their technology seems to rival even that of Atlas. However, since we have yet to retrieve any of their equipment, intact or otherwise, we have no way of knowing their full extent_ " he stated, grimly.

" _Indeed. It's quite worrisome, facing an enemy we know absolutely nothing about. We don't even know the location of their base of operations_ " A Councilor stated.

" _My army is ready to lend its aid, Councilors_ " ironwood said.

"Ordinarily, I'd disagree with your straight forward tactics, but I feel it would be best to make an exception in these circumstances. But, we must still exercise caution. Overt moves are likely to alert them that we are actively searching for them" Ozpin said.

" _Yes, but there is also the fact that they've obviously grown bolder, as this is the first time we've ever gotten visible evidence of their existence outside of stories from captured White Fang operatives_ " a Councilor said. Ozpin couldn't disagree with him.

" _There is also the fact that a Faunus had managed to successfully infiltrate Beacon, Headmaster. That is a severe case of negligence on your part_ " another Councilor, rather venomously.

"It was quite a shock to me, as well. I'll be meeting with Glynda to ensure this doesn't happen again" Ozpin said. He really won't. He's just saying that so the Council won't get on his case about it. They can be a real pain in the rear when they want to be.

" _Please be sure that you do. We can't let potential White Fang spies receive Huntsmen training and knowledge that can be used against us_ " a Councilor said, which made Ozpin's blood boil to an extent. He knows most view all Faunus as White Fang spies, regardless if they're actually a member or not. He didn't let it show.

"Of course. Will that be all?" he asked.

" _Yes_ " was all a Councilor said before the screens vanished, leaving Ozpin alone in his thoughts. He should really get some more coffee. He's really getting too old for this nonsense.


End file.
